Substrate-cutting system, substrate-producing apparatus, substrate-scribing method, and substrate-cutting method

ABSTRACT

A clamping device ( 50 ) is installed on a stand ( 10 ) with a hollow rectangular parallelepiped shape such that at least one place at a side edge portion of a mother board transported in the stand ( 10 ) is clamped. A pair of substrate-cutting devices for cutting the mother substrate, clamped by the clamping device ( 50 ), from its upper face and lower face is provided on a scribing device guide body ( 30 ). The scribing device guide body ( 30 ) is reciprocally movable along one side of the hollow rectangular parallelepiped. The pair of substrate-cutting devices is installed so as to be movable along the direction perpendicular to the movement direction of the scribing device guide body ( 30 ). The mother substrate clamped by the clamping device is supported by a substrate-supporting device ( 20 ).

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to a substrate cutting system and asubstrate cutting line system used for cutting mother substrates ofvarious materials, including mother substrates such as glass substratesused for display panels of liquid crystal display apparatuses and thelike, and more particularly, a substrate cutting system, a substratemanufacturing apparatus, a substrate scribing method, and a substratecutting method which can be preferably used for cutting bonded mothersubstrates formed by bonding a pair of brittle material substrates toeach other.

BACKGROUND ART

Display panels of the liquid crystal display apparatuses and the likeare usually made of glass substrates which are brittle materialsubstrates. The liquid crystal display apparatuses includes displaypanels formed by bonding a pair of glass substrates with an appropriatespace therebetween and enclosing liquid crystal into the space.

For manufacturing such display panels, a process to cut out a pluralityof display panels of a bonded mother substrate by cutting the bondedmother substrate which is obtained by bonding mother glass substrates isperformed. A scribing apparatus used for cutting bonded mothersubstrates is disclosed in Publication for Utility Model Opposition No.59-22101.

FIG. 93 to a schematic view showing a structure of the scribingapparatus. A scribing apparatus 950 includes tables 951 for respectivelyputting a side edge portion of a bonded mother substrate 908 thereon. Onthe tables 951, clamp members 952 for clamping the side edge portions ofthe bonded mother substrate 908 are attached. The scribing apparatus 950includes a pair of cutter heads 953 and 954 respectively provided aboveand below the bonded mother substrate 908. The cutter heads 953 and 954oppose each other with the bonded mother substrate 908 interposedtherebetween.

In the scribing apparatus 950 having such a structure, when the bondedmother substrate 908 is fixed to the tables 951 with the clamp members952, a front surface and a back surface of the bonded mother substrate908 are scribed at the same time by the pair of cutter heads 953 and 954to form scribe lines.

However, in such a scribing apparatus 950, a breaking apparatus forcutting the bonded mother substrate 908 on which the scribe lines areformed is separately required. Further, for cutting the bonded mothersubstrate 908 by a breaking apparatus, it is necessary to reverse thebonded mother substrate 908 (to turn the substrate upside down) aftercutting one of the mother substrates of the bonded mother substrate 908for cutting another substrate. For cutting display panels out of thebonded mother substrate 908, a complicated line system has to beestablished.

For cutting display panels out of the bonded mother substrate 908 byusing such a scribing apparatus 950, a complicated line system having afootprint few times larger then that of the scribing apparatus 950 hasto be established. This is one of the reasons increasing themanufacturing cost of display panels.

Further, in the scribing apparatus 950 shown in FIG. 93, the bondedmother substrate 908 is scribed from both front surface and back surfaceat the same time. However, the process direction is limited to onedirection, and cross scribing (scribing along directions such that thescribe lines are orthogonal to each other) is impossible.

This means that another scribing apparatus is necessary forcross-scribing. There is a problem that the scribing process efficiencyfor the bonded mother substrate 908 to significantly low.

Moreover, there is a problem that the process cannot be performed alongtwo directions which are orthogonal to each other in one setting whenthe mother substrate is cut from both the front surface and the backsurface by using an apparatus similar to the above-described scribingapparatus 950.

The present invention is to solve such problems and the object thereof.Is to provide a substrate cutting system and a substrate cutting systemwhich has a small foot print and a compact structure, and which canefficiently cut various types of mother substrates.

DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION

A substrate cutting system according to the present invention ischaracterized by comprising: a hollow parallelepiped mounting structure;a clamp device attached to the mounting structure so as to clamp atleast one portion of a side edge of a substrate carried into themounting structure; a pair of substrate cutting devices for cutting thesubstrate from an upper surface side and a lower surface side of thesubstrate clamped by the clamping device; and a scribing device guidebody which is movable back and forth along one side of the hollowparallelepiped mounting structure and to which the pair of substratecutting devices are attached so as to be movable along a directionorthogonal to the moving direction.

The present invention is further characterized by comprising a substratesupporting device for supporting the substrate clamped by the clampingdevice.

The present invention is further characterized by comprising a firstsubstrate supporting portion provided on one side in the movingdirection of the scribing device guide body.

The present invention is further characterized in that the firstsubstrate supporting portion includes a plurality of first substratesupporting units which can move parallel along the moving direction ofthe scribing device guide body, the first substrate supporting unitsbeing moved so as to apart from each other as the scribing device guidebody moves in one direction and being moved so as to approach each otheras the scribing device guide body moves in other direction.

The present invention is further characterized in that, in the firstsubstrate supporting units, a plurality of first supporting beltsrespectively arranged along the moving direction of the scribing deviceguide body are supported, and the substrate is supported in a horizontalfashion by the first supporting belts by moving the first substratesupporting units so as to apart from each other.

The present invention is further characterized by comprising firstwinding means for winding the first supporting belts by moving the firstsubstrate supporting units so as to approach each other.

The present invention is further characterized in that, in the firstsubstrate supporting units, a substrate upward/downward moving devicefor lifting the substrate above the first supporting belts so that thesubstrate is clamped by the clamp device is provided.

The present invention is further characterized in that the firstsubstrate supporting portion includes a plurality of first substratesupporting units which move parallel along the moving direction of thescribing device guide body, the first substrate supporting units beingmoved with the scribing device guide body as the scribing device guidebody moves in one direction.

The present invention is further characterized in that the firstsubstrate supporting units comprises a plurality of belts for supportingthe substrate.

The present invention is further characterized by comprising at leastone clutch unit for selectively rotating the plurality of belts inaccordance with the movement of the scribing device guide body.

The present invention is further characterized in that the substratesupporting device further comprises second substrate supporting portionprovided on the other side in the moving direction of the scribingdevice guide body.

The present invention is further characterized in that the secondsubstrate supporting portion includes a plurality of second substratesupporting units which move parallel along the moving direction of thescribing device guide body, the second substrate supporting units beingmoved so as to approach each other in the movement in one direction andbeing moved so as to apart from each other in the movement in otherdirection.

The present invention is further characterized in that, in the secondsubstrate supporting units, a plurality of second supporting beltsrespectively arranged along the moving direction of the scribing deviceguide body are supported, and the substrate is supported in a horizontalfashion by the second supporting belts by moving the second substratesupporting units so as to apart from each other.

The present invention is further characterized by comprising secondwinding means for winding the second supporting belts by moving thesecond substrate supporting units so as to approach each other.

The present invention is further characterized in that the secondsubstrate supporting portion includes a plurality of second substratesupporting units which move parallel along the moving direction of thescribing device guide body, the second substrate supporting units beingmoved with the scribing device guide body as the scribing device guidebody moves in one direction.

The present invention is further characterized in that the secondsubstrate supporting units comprises a plurality of belts for supportingthe substrate.

The present invention is further characterized by comprising at leastone clutch unit for selectively rotating the plurality of belts inaccordance with the movement of the scribing device guide body.

The present invention is further characterized in that a or thesubstrate cutting devices comprises a cutter head for transmittingpressure to the substrate using a servo motor for a cutter wheel.

The present invention is further characterized by comprising a steamunit portion for spraying steam on front and back surfaces of thesubstrate having scribe lines carved thereon at a or the substratecutting devices.

The present invention is further characterized in that the steam unitportion includes substrate drying means for drying front and backsurfaces of the substrate.

A substrate cutting system according to claim 10, characterized bycomprising a substrate carry-out device for taking out the substratewhich has been cut at the steam unit portion.

The present invention is further characterized in that the substratecarrying device includes a carrying robot comprising: substrate holdingmeans for holding the substrate; substrate rotation means for rotatingthe substrate holding means holding the substrate around a first axisvertical to the substrate; and means for rotating the substrate rotationmeans around a second axle which is different from the first axisvertical to the substrate held by the substrate holding means.

The present invention is further characterized by comprising substrateinversion means for inverting the substrate carried by the substratecarrying device upside down.

The present invention is further characterized by comprising apositioning unit portion for positioning the substrate.

The present invention is further characterized by comprising a carryingunit for carrying the substrate scribed by the scribing device guidebody to a steam unit portion.

The present invention is further characterized by comprising removalmeans for removing unnecessary portion of the cut substrate.

The present invention is further characterized in that the plurality ofbelts are strained between a frame on a substrate carry-in side and aframe on a substrate carry-out side, the plurality of belts sinkingbelow the scribing device guide body or coming up from below thescribing device guide body during the first substrate supporting portionis moving.

The present invention is further characterized in that the plurality ofbelts are strained between a frame on a substrate carry-in side and aframe on a substrate carry-out side, the plurality of belts sinkingbelow the scribing device guide body or coming up from below thescribing device guide body during the second substrate supportingportion is moving.

The present invention is further characterized in that the substrate isa bonded mother substrate formed by bonding a pair of mother substrates.

A substrate manufacturing apparatus according to the present inventionis characterized in that a chamfering system for chamfering end surfacesof the cut substrate is connected to the above substrate cutting system.

The present invention is further characterized in that an inspectionsystem for inspecting functions of the cut substrate is connected.

A substrate scribing method for forming scribe lines on an upper surfaceand a lower surf ace of a substrate according to the present inventionis characterized in that: scribe line formation means for forming avertical crack along a thickness direction of the substrate oppose eachother, and the scribe lines are continuously formed by the scribeformation means without being apart from the substrate.

The present invention is further characterized in that three or morelinear scribe lines are formed by the scribe line formation means, aclosed curve being formed by all the scribe lines which has been formed.

The present invention to further characterized in that the scribe lineformation means form a closed curve having a rectangular shape.

The present invention is further characterized in that the scribe lineformation means is a cutter wheel tip having a disc shape and having ablade edge for rotating on a surface of the substrate in an outerperiphery.

The present invention is further characterized in that the cutter wheeltip has a plurality of protrusions formed in a blade edge in apredetermined pitch.

The present invention is further characterized in that sub-scribe linesalong at least two formed scribe lines are formed by the cutter wheeltip after at least two scribe lines are formed by the cutter wheel tip.

The present invention is further characterized in that the sub-scribelines are formed continuously after the at least two scribe lines formedon the substrate without separating the cutter wheel tip from a surfaceof the substrate.

The present invention to further characterized in that the cutter wheeltip forms one scribe line, moves on the surface drawing a circulartrace, and then, forms the other scribe line.

The present invention is further characterized in that, when the cutterwheal tip moves on the substrate drawing a circular trace, pressure tothe substrate is reduced compared to pressure to the substrate when thescribe lines are being formed.

A substrate cutting method according to the present invention ischaracterized in that a scribing method for forming scribe lines on anupper surface and a lower surf ace of the substrate comprises the stepsof: forming a main scribe line along a line to be cut on the substrateby opposing scribe line formation means for forming a vertical crackalong a thickness direction of the substrate; and forming asupplementary scribe line along the main scribe line with apredetermined space apart from the formed main scribe line.

The present invention is further characterized in that the supplementaryscribe line is formed with a space of 0.5 mm to 1.0 mm apart from themain scribe line.

The present invention is further characterized in that the main scribeline is formed by a vertical crack which extends to 80% or more of athickness direction of the substrate from the substrate surface.

The present invention is further characterized in that the main scribeline is formed by a vertical crack which extends to 90% or more of athickness direction of the substrate from the substrate surface.

The present invention is further characterized in that the main scribeline is formed by a cutter wheel having a disc shape which rotates onthe substrate surface, the cutter wheel protruding outward so as to havea center portion of an outer periphery in a width direction which has ashape of letter V with an obtuse angle, a plurality of protrusions witha predetermined height being provided across the entire circumferentialwith a predetermined pitch in a portion having the obtuse angle.

The present invention is further characterized in that a formationdirection of main scribe line and a formation direction of supplementaryscribe line by the cutter wheel are opposite to each other, and thecutter wheel continuously form the main scribe line and thesupplementary scribe line in contact with the substrate surface.

The present invention is further characterized in that the main scribeline and the supplementary scribe line are formed with an appropriatespace from at least one end portion of the line to be out.

Further a substrate cutting method for cutting a substrate having scribelines formed respectively on an upper surface and a lower surface of thesubstrates characterized in that: the upper surface and the lowersurface of the substrate are heated for cutting the substrate.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view showing an example of a substratecutting system according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a schematic perspective view of the substrate cutting systemaccording to Embodiment 1 of the present invention viewed from anotherdirection.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of an important part of the substratecutting system according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view for illustrating operations of a substratesupporting device of the substrate cutting system according toEmbodiment 1 of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of an important part of the substratecutting system according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention.

FIG. 6 to a schematic perspective view of an important part of thesubstrate cutting system according to Embodiment 1 of the presentinvention which is enlarged.

FIG. 7 is a schematic perspective view of another important part of thesubstrate cutting system according to Embodiment 1 of the presentinvention which is enlarged.

FIG. 8 is a perspective view of a first substrate supporting unitprovided in the substrate supporting device of the substrate cuttingsystem according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention.

FIG. 9 is a front view of a substrate upward/downward moving device inthe first substrate supporting unit with a part thereof being broken.

FIG. 10 is a side view showing structures of connection arms attached toat least one end portion of the first substrate supporting units 21.

FIG. 11 is a front view of the substrate upward/downward moving deviceshown in FIG. 9 with a part thereof being broken.

FIG. 12 is a perspective view of the substrate upward/downward movingdevice with a part thereof being broken.

FIG. 13 is a perspective view for showing structures of clamp deviceprovided in the substrate cutting system.

FIG. 14 is a perspective view for showing an operation of the clampdevice.

FIG. 15 is a side view showing an example of a cutter head provided inthe substrate cutting device in the substrate cutting system accordingto Embodiment 1 of the present invention.

FIG. 16 is a front view showing an important part of the cutter head.

FIG. 17 is a front view showing another example of the cutter headprovided in the substrate cutting device in the substrate cutting systemaccording to Embodiment 1 of the present invention.

FIG. 18 is a schematic plan view for illustrating an operation of thesubstrate cutting system according to Embodiment 1 of the presentinvention.

FIG. 19 is a schematic plan view for illustrating an operation of thesubstrate cutting system according to Embodiment 1 of the presentinvention.

FIG. 20 is a schematic plan view for illustrating an operation of thesubstrate cutting system according to Embodiment 1 of the presentinvention.

FIG. 21 is a cross sectional view of a substrate for illustrating theprinciple of a substrate cutting method according to the presentinvention.

FIG. 22 is a plan view of a substrate showing a scribe pattern for thesubstrate for illustrating an example of the substrate cutting methodaccording to the present invention.

FIG. 23 is a plan view of a substrate showing a scribe pattern for thesubstrate for illustrating another example of the substrate cuttingmethod according to the present invention.

FIG. 24 is a partial plan view showing a scribe pattern for thesubstrate for illustrating yet another example of the substrate cuttingmethod according to the present invention.

FIG. 25 is a plan view showing a scribe pattern for the substrate forillustrating yet another example of the substrate cutting methodaccording to the present invention.

FIG. 26 is a plan view of a substrate showing a scribe pattern for thesubstrate far illustrating yet another example of the substrate cuttingmethod according to the present invention.

FIG. 27 is a partial plan view of a substrate showing a scribe patternfor the substrate for illustrating yet another example of the substratecutting method according to the present invention.

FIG. 28 is a plan view of a substrate showing a scribe pattern for thesubstrate for illustrating yet another example of the substrate cuttingmethod according to the present invention.

FIG. 29 is a plan view for illustrating yet another example of thesubstrate cutting method according to the present invention.

FIG. 30 is a plan view of a substrate showing a scribe pattern for thesubstrate for illustrating yet another example of the substrate cuttingmethod according to the present invention.

FIG. 31 is a schematic plan view for illustrating an operation of thesubstrate cutting system according to Embodiment 1 of the presentinvention.

FIG. 32 is a schematic plan view for illustrating an operation of thesubstrate cutting system according to Embodiment 1 of the presentinvention.

FIG. 33 is a front view of an important part of a steam unit portion ofthe substrate cutting system according to Embodiment 1 of the presentinvention.

FIG. 34 to a partial cross-sectional side view showing a structure of asteam unit in the steam unit portion.

FIG. 35 is a diagram for showing a scribe pattern for scribing asubstrate in a substrate cutting system according to Embodiment 2 of thepresent invention.

FIG. 36 is a diagram for showing another scribe pattern for scribing asubstrate in the substrate cutting system according to Embodiment 1 ofthe present invention.

FIG. 37 is a diagram for showing yet another scribe pattern for scribinga substrate in the substrate cutting system according to Embodiment 1 ofthe present invention.

FIG. 38 is a schematic perspective view for showing an example of thesubstrate cutting system according to Embodiment 2 of the presentinvention.

FIG. 39 is a schematic perspective view of the substrate cutting systemviewed from another direction.

FIG. 40 is a schematic perspective view of an important part of thesubstrate cutting system which is enlarged.

FIG. 41 is a schematic perspective view of another important part of thesubstrate cutting system which is enlarged.

FIG. 42 includes: portion (a) schematically showing structure of acarrying robot of a substrate carrying apparatus; and portion (b)illustrating an operation of the carrying robot.

FIG. 43 is a side view of a first substrate supporting unit provided ina substrate supporting device of the substrate cutting system.

FIG. 44 is a front view of the first substrate supporting unit viewedfrom a scribing device guide body side of the substrate cutting system.

FIG. 45 is a schematic diagram showing a structure of a clutch unitprovided in a substrate supporting portion of the substrate cuttingsystem.

FIG. 46 is a side view of the clutch unit.

FIG. 47 is a front view of an important part of a steam unit portion ofthe substrate cutting system according to Embodiment 2 of the presentinvention when viewed from a substrate carry-in side.

FIG. 48 is a partial cross-sectional side view showing a structure of asteam unit in the steam unit portion.

FIG. 49 is a perspective view for showing a clamp device provided in thesubstrate cutting system according to Embodiment 2 of the presentinvention and illustrating an operation thereof.

FIG. 50 is a perspective view for showing a clamp device provided in thesubstrate cutting system according to Embodiment 2 of the presentinvention and illustrating an operation thereof.

FIG. 51 is a side view showing an example of a cutter head included in asubstrate cutting device of the substrate cutting system according toEmbodiment 2 of the present invention.

FIG. 52 is a front view of a major part of the cutter head.

FIG. 53 is a front view showing another example of the cutter headincluded in the substrate cutting device of the substrate cutting systemaccording to Embodiment 2 of the present invention.

FIG. 54 is a schematic plan view for illustrating an operation of thesubstrate cutting system according to Embodiment 2 of the presentinvention.

FIG. 55 is a schematic plan view for illustrating an operation of thesubstrate cutting system according to Embodiment 2 of the presentinvention.

FIG. 56 is a diagram for showing a scribe pattern for scribing asubstrate in the substrate cutting system according to Embodiment 2 ofthe prevent invention.

FIG. 57 to a diagram for showing another scribe pattern for scribing asubstrate in the substrate cutting system according to Embodiment 2 ofthe present invention.

FIG. 58 is a diagram for showing yet another scribe pattern for scribinga substrate in the substrate cutting system according to Embodiment 2 ofthe present invention.

FIG. 59 is a schematic plan view for illustrating an operation of thesubstrate cutting system according to Embodiment 2 of the presentinvention.

FIG. 60 is a schematic plan view for illustrating an operation of thesubstrate cutting system according to Embodiment 2 of the presentinvention.

FIG. 61 is a cross-sectional view of a substrate for illustrating aprinciple of a substrate cutting method according to the presentinvention.

FIG. 62 is a plan view of a substrate showing a scribe pattern of thesubstrate for illustrating an example of the substrate cutting methodaccording to the present invention.

FIG. 63 to a plan view of a substrate showing a scribe pattern of thesubstrate for illustrating another example of the substrate cuttingmethod according to the present invention.

FIG. 64 is a partial plan view of a substrate showing a scribe patternof the substrate for illustrating yet another example of the substratecutting method according to the present invention.

FIG. 65 includes: portions (a) and (b) providing plan view of asubstrate showing a scribe pattern of the substrate for illustrating yetanother example of the substrate cutting method according to the presentinvention.

FIG. 66 is a plan view of a substrate showing a scribe pattern of thesubstrate for illustrating yet another example of the substrate cuttingmethod according to the present invention.

FIG. 67 is a partial plan view of a substrate showing a scribe patternof the substrate for illustrating yet another example of the substratecutting method according to the present invention.

FIG. 68 to a plan view of a substrate showing a scribe pattern of thesubstrate for illustrating yet another example of the substrate cuttingmethod according to the present invention.

FIG. 69 is a plan view for illustrating yet another example of thesubstrate cutting method according to the present invention.

FIG. 70 is a plan view of a substrate showing a scribe pattern of thesubstrate for illustrating yet another example of the substrate cuttingmethod according to the present invention.

FIG. 71 to a schematic perspective view showing an example of asubstrate cutting system according to Embodiment 3 of the presentinvention in whole.

FIG. 72 is a schematic plan view showing the substrate cutting system.

FIG. 73 is a schematic side view showing the substrate cutting system.

FIG. 74 is a schematic perspective view showing a positioning unitportion of the substrate cutting system according to Embodiment 3 of thepresent invention.

FIG. 75 in a schematic plan view of a lift conveyer portion of thesubstrate cutting system according to Embodiment 3 of the presentinvention.

FIG. 76 is a side view of a third substrate supporting unit of the liftconveyer portion.

FIG. 77 is a schematic view for illustrating a panel terminal separationportion of the substrate cutting system according to Embodiment 3 of thepresent invention.

FIG. 78 is a partial schematic plan view for illustrating an operationof the substrate cutting system according to Embodiment 3 of the presentinvention.

FIG. 79 is a partial schematic plan view for illustrating an operationof the substrate cutting system according to Embodiment 3 of the presentinvention.

FIG. 80 is a partial schematic plan view for illustrating an operationof the substrate cutting system according to Embodiment 3 of the presentinvention.

FIG. 81 is a partial schematic plan view for illustrating an operationof the substrate cutting system according to Embodiment 3 of the presentinvention.

FIG. 82 is a partial schematic plan view for illustrating an operationof the substrate cutting system according to Embodiment 3 of the presentinvention.

FIG. 83 is a partial schematic plan view for illustrating an operationof the substrate cutting system according to Embodiment 3 of the presentinvention.

FIG. 84 is a schematic perspective view showing an example of asubstrate cutting system according to Embodiment 4 of the presentinvention.

FIG. 85 is a schematic perspective view of a first substrate supportingunit of a substrate supporting device of the substrate cutting system.

FIG. 86 is a side view for illustrating an operation of the substratesupporting device of the substrate cutting system.

FIG. 87 is a schematic plan view for illustrating an operation of thesubstrate cutting system according to Embodiment 4 of the presentinvention.

FIG. 88 is a schematic plan view for illustrating an operation of thesubstrate cutting system according to Embodiment 4 of the presentinvention.

FIG. 89 is a schematic plan view for illustrating an operation of thesubstrate cutting system according to Embodiment 4 of the presentinvention.

FIG. 90 is a schematic plan view for illustrating an operation of thesubstrate cutting system according to Embodiment 4 of the presentinvention.

FIG. 91 is a schematic view showing an example of a structure of asubstrate manufacturing apparatus according to the present inventionusing the substrate cutting system according to Embodiments 1 to 4.

FIG. 92 is a schematic view showing another example of a structure of asubstrate manufacturing apparatus according to the present inventionusing the substrate cutting system according to Embodiments 1 to 4.

FIG. 93 is a front view showing a structure of a conventional scribingapparatus.

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described indetail with reference to the drawings.

Embodiment 1

FIGS. 1 and 2 are perspective views schematically showing an entirestructure of an example of a substrate cutting system according toEmbodiment 1 of the present invention from different directions. FIG. 3is a perspective view schematically showing a structure of an importantpart of the system. FIG. 4 is a perspective view for illustrating anoperation. FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of the important part.

In the present invention, “substrates” include mother substrates cutinto a plurality of substrates and also include single plates of metalsubstrates such as steel sheets, wood plates, plastic substrates andceramic substrate, semiconductor substrates, and brittle materialsubstrates such as glass substrates. Furthermore, the “substrates” arenot limited to such single plates, but also includes bonded substratesformed by bonding pairs of substrates and laminated substrates formed bylaminating pairs of substrates.

For example, when panel substrates of a liquid crystal display apparatusin which a pair of glass substrates are bonded to each other (bondedsubstrate for display panel substrates) are manufactured, a substratecutting system according to the present invention cuts a bonded mothersubstrate 90 which is formed by bonding a pair of mother glasssubstrates to each other into a plurality of panel substrates (bondedsubstrate for display panel substrates).

The substrate cutting system includes a hollow mounting structure 10having a parallelepiped shape. On the mounting structure 10, a pair ofmain frames 11 are located along a longitudinal direction. In themounting structure 10, a substrate supporting device 20 (see FIGS. 3 and4) for supporting the bonded mother substrate 90 to be carried to thesubstrate cutting system by a carrying robot, carrying belt or the likein a horizontal manner to located.

Further, as shown in FIG. 5, in the mounting structure 10, a clampdevice 50 for holding a substrate held in a horizontal manner bysubstrate upward/downward moving device 40 (see FIG. 8) provided in thesubstrate supporting device 20 (a first substrate supporting unit 21A)in a horizontal manner is provided. The substrate supporting device 20is not shown in FIG. 5. Further, on the main frames 11, scribing deviceguide body 30 is provided so as to be movable along the longitudinaldirection of the main frames 11. The scribing device guide body 30includes an upper guide rail 31 extending along a direction orthogonalto the main frames 11 above the main frames 11 and a lower guide rail 32extending along the upper guide rail 31 below the main frames 11. Theupper guide rail 31 and the lower guide rail 32 are formed so as to moveintegrally along the main frames 11.

FIG. 6 is a schematic perspective view showing near the upper guide rail31 in the scribing device guide body 30. To the upper guide rail 31,upper portion substrate cutting device 60 is attached so as to bemovable along the upper guide rail 31. FIG. 7 is a schematic perspectiveview showing near the lower guide rail 32 in the scribing device guidebody 30. To the lower guide rail 32, lower portion substrate cuttingdevice 70 is attached so au to be movable along the lower guide rail 32.

The upper portion substrate cutting device 60 and the lower portionsubstrate cutting device 70 respectively move back and forth along theupper guide rail 31 and the lower guide rail 32 by linear motors. To theupper guide rail 31 and the lower guide rail 32, stators of the linearmotors are respectively attached. To the upper portion substrate cuttingdevice 60 and the lower portion substrate cutting device 70, movers ofthe linear motors are respectively attached. The upper portion substratecutting device 60 and the lower portion substrate cutting device 70 cutglass substrates on upper and lower sides of the bonded mother substrate90 held by the clamp device 50 in a horizontal manner and also supportedby the substrate supporting device 20 for assisting holding thesubstrates.

In one end portion of the scribing device guide body 30, a first opticaldevice 38 for taking an image of a first alignment mark of the bondedmother substrate 90 held by the clamp device 50 and supported by thesubstrate supporting device 20 is provided so as to be movable along thescribing device guide body 30. In the other end portion of the scribingdevice guide body 30, a second optical device 39 for taking an image ofa second alignment mark provided on the bonded mother substrate 90 isprovided so as to be movable along the scribing device guide body 30.

As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the substrate supporting device 20 includes afirst substrate supporting portion 20A located on a side, to whichsubstrates are to be carried, of the scribing device guide body 30 forsupporting the bonded mother substrate 90 to be carried into themounting structure 10 (see FIG. 2), and a second substrate supportingportion 20B located on a side, from which substrates are carried out, ofthe scribing device guide body 30 for supporting the bonded mothersubstrate 90 after the bonded mother substrate 90 is cut and the panelsubstrates are sequentially carried out of the mounting structure 10. Inthe mounting structure 10, the first substrate supporting portion 20Aside is a substrate carry-in side, the second substrate supportingportion 20B side is a carry-out side.

In the main frames 11 of the mounting structure 10, stators 12 of linearmotors for moving the scribing device guide body 30 are respectivelyprovided on upper surfaces of the main frames 11 along the longitudinaldirection of the main frames 11. The stators 12 are respectively formedto have a flat hollow parallelepiped shape with external side surfacesopened. Thus, cross-sections thereof have squared “C” shape. In thestators, movers (not shown) of the linear motors attached to thescribing device guide body 30 are inserted so as to be movable along themain frames 11.

In the stators 12, a plurality of permanent magnets are respectivelylocated along the longitudinal directions with the magnetic poles of thepermanent magnets adjacent to each other are reversed. The movers arerespectively formed of electromagnets. By sequentially switchingmagnetic poles of the electromagnets forming the movers, the moversslide respectively along the stators 12.

As shown in FIG. 4, the movers of the linear motors are attached toinner side surfaces of coupling plates 33 for coupling end surfaces ofthe upper guide rail 31 and the lower guide rail 32 to each other. Themovers are driven in synchronization and slid with respect to thestators 12.

Between the main frames 11 in the mounting structure 10 (see FIG. 2), asubstrate carry-out device 80 (see FIG. 3) for carrying out panelsubstrates cut out of the bonded mother substrate 90 bridges. Thesubstrate carry-out device 80 is located on the substrate carry-out sidewith respect to the scribing device guide body 30, and end portionsthereof slide along guide rails 19 (see FIG. 5) respectively provided onthe main frames 11 by the linear motors. In this case, the linear motorsare formed by inserting movers (not shown) of the linear motorsrespectively attached to the end portions of the substrate carry-outdevice 80 into the linear motor stators 12 respectively provided on themain frames 11.

The substrate carry-out device 80 includes an adsorption portion (notshown) for suction-adsorbing panel substrates cut out of the bondedmother substrate 90. The entire substrate carry-out device 80 is slid tothe substrate carry-out side with the panel substrate adsorbed by theadsorption portion, and the panel substrates are carried out from themounting structure 10.

As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, in end portions of one of the main frames 11,i.e., an end portion on the substrate carry-in side and an end portionon the substrate carry-out side of one main frame 11, a first carry-inpulley 14 a and a first carry-out pulley 25 a are respectively provided.Further, in an end portion on the substrate carry-in side and an endportion on the substrate carry-out side of the other main frame 11, asecond carry-in pulley 14 b and a second carry-out pulley 15 b arerespectively provided. A first transmission belt 16 a loops around thefirst carry-in pulley 14 a and the first carry-out pulley 15 a locatedalong one main frame 11. A second transmission belt 16 b loops aroundthe second carry-in pulley 14 b and the second carry-out pulley 15 blocated along the other main frame 11.

Between the first carry-in pulley 14 a and the second carry-in pulley 14b located in the end portion on the substrate carry-in side, a carry-inside winding drum 17 a is provided in a concentric fashion with thefirst carry-in pulley 14 a and the second carry-in pulley 14 b. Thecarry-in side winding drum 17 a in coupled to the first carry-in pulley14 a around which the first transmission belt 16 a loops. When the firstcarry-in pulley 14 a rotates, the carry-in side winding drum 17 aintegrally rotates in the same direction. The second carry-in pulley 14b provided in the other end portion of the carry-in side winding drum 17a can rotate freely with respect to the carry-in side winding drum 17 a.

Between the first carry-out pulley 15 a and the second carry-out pulley16 b located in the end portion on the substrate carry-out side, acarry-out side winding drum 17 b is provided in a concentric fashionwith the first carry-out pulley 15 a and the second carry-out pulley 15b. The carry-out side winding drum 17 b is coupled to the secondcarry-out pulley 15 b around which the second transmission belt 16 bloops. When the second carry-out pulley 15 b rotates, the carry-out sidewinding drum 17 b integrally rotates in the same direction. The firstcarry-out pulley 15 a provided in the other end portion of the carry-outside winding drum 17 b can rotate freely with respect to the carry-outside winding drum 17 b.

The first transmission belt 16 a located along one of the main frames 11of the mounting structure 10 is coupled to an end portion of therespective scribing device guide body 30. Thus, when the scribing deviceguide body 30 moves toward the substrate carry-in side, the firsttransmission belt 16 a moves and the first carry-in pulley 14 a and thefirst carry-out pulley 15 a around which the first transmission belt 16a loops rotate in the same direction. The rotation of the first carry-inpulley 14 a causes the carry-in side winding drum 17 a to rotateintegrally with the first carry-in pulley 14 a in the same direction. Insuch a case, the carry-out side winding drum 17 b located in theconcentric fashion with the second carry-out pulley 15 b is not rotatedand only the first carry-out pulley 15 is rotated since the firstcarry-out pulley 15 a and the carry-out side winding drum 17 b are notcoupled to each other.

On the other hand, when the scribing device guide body 30 moves towardthe substrate carry-out side, the first transmission belt 16 a moves andthe first carry-in pulley 14 a and the first carry-out pulley 15 aaround which the first transmission belt 16 a loops rotate in the samedirection. Thus, the carry-in side winding drum 17 a rotates in the samedirection as the first carry-in pulley 14 a. However, in such a case, asdescribed above, the carry-out side winding drum 17 b located on thesubstrate carry-out side does not rotate.

The first substrate supporting portion 20A and the second substratesupporting portion 20B of the substrate supporting device 20respectively have five first substrate supporting units 21A and secondsubstrate supporting units 21B. The first substrate supporting units 21Aand the second substrate supporting units 21B are respectively formed tohave a linear shape along the direction orthogonal to the main frames11.

FIG. 8 is a perspective view of one of the first substrate supportingunits 21A provided in the first substrate supporting portion 20A. Thefirst substrate supporting unit 21A has a support main body 21 aelongated linearly along the direction orthogonal to the main frames 11.To end portions of the support main body 21 a, connection plates 21 bextended upward in a direction vertical to the support main body 21 aare attached. In upper end portions of the connection plates 21 b,sliders 21 c, which slidably engage substrate supporting unit guiderails 13 (see FIG. 5) provided on outer side surfaces of the main frames11, are provided. The sliders 21 c slide along the substrate supportingunit guide rails 13. Thus, the first substrate supporting units 21A movealong the main frames 11.

On each of the first substrate supporting units 21A, for example, sixpairs of guide rollers 21 d are provided with a predetermined spacetherebetween in the direction orthogonal to the main frames 11, and thesubstrate upward/downward moving device 40 is provided between a pair ofguide rollers 21 d.

FIG. 9 is a front view of a pair of the guide rollers 21 d provided inthe first substrate supporting units 21A of the first substratesupporting portion 20A and the substrate upward/downward moving device40 provided between the guide rollers 21 d with a part of the substrateupward/downward moving device 40 being broken. The guide rollers 21 dare supported so as to be rotatable at upper edge portions of rollersupporting members 21 e vertically supported by the support main bodies21 a with the roller axes thereof are in a horizontal manner along thedirection orthogonal to the main frames 11.

Among five first substrate supporting units 21A which form the firstsubstrate supporting portion 20A, the guide rollers 21 d provided on thefirst substrate supporting units 21A are provided at the same positionof the support main body 21 a. Thus, the guide rollers 21 d provided onone of the first substrate supporting units 21A and the guide rollers 21d provided on the adjacent first substrate supporting unit 21A arearranged in a line along the main frames 11. The guide rollers 21 d ofall the first substrate supporting units 21A which are lined along themain frames 11 together support one first supporting belt 23 a.

As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, each of the first supporting belts 23 a hasone end portion fixed in place on the substrate carry-in side of themounting structure 10. Each of the first supporting belts 23 a issupported by the guide rollers 21 d of all the first substratesupporting units 21A which are lined along the main frames 11 in thefirst substrate supporting portion 20A. The first supporting belts 23 arespectively loop around the guide rollers 21 d provided on the firstsubstrate supporting units 21A nearest to the scribing device guide body30. The first supporting belts 23 a pass below the guide rollers 21 d ofall the first substrate supporting units 21A lined along the main frames11 in the first substrate supporting portion 20A and are pulled towardthe substrate carry-in side. The first supporting belts 23 a arerespectively wound to the carry-in side winding drum 17 a between thefirst carry-in pulley 14 a and the second carry-in pulley 14 b locatedin the and portion on the substrate carry-in side.

The first substrate supporting units 21A adjacent to each other arecoupled to each other by connection arms 28 a respectively attached toend portions of the first substrate supporting units 21A. FIG. 10 is aside view showing the structure of the connection arms 28 a attached toat least one end portion of the first substrate supporting units 21A. Itis preferable that the connection arms 28 a are attached to both endportions of the first substrate supporting units 21A. The connectionarms 28 a have center portions rotatably attached to the connectionplates 21 b attached to end portions of the support main bodies 21 a inthe first substrate supporting units 21A by attachment pins 28 b. Endportions of the connection arms 28 a attached to the first substratesupporting units 21A adjacent to each other are rotatably attached toeach other by a connection pin 28 c.

The connection arm 28 a attached to the first substrate supporting unit21A located nearest to the end portion on the substrate carry-out sidehas its end portion which is different from the end portion coupled tothe adjacent first substrate supporting unit 21A rotatably attached toone end portion of a rotation arm 28 d by a connection pin 28 c. Therotation arm 28 d has the other end portion rotatably attached to themain frames 11 by a fixing pin 28 e.

The connection arm 28 a attached to the first substrate supporting unit21A located to be nearest to the scribing device guide body 30 has itsend portion which is different from the end portion coupled to theadjacent first substrate supporting unit 21A rotatably attached to oneend portion of a rotation arm 28 g by a connection pin 28 c. Therotation arm 28 g has the other end portion rotatably attached to thescribing device guide body 30 by a fixing pin 28 f.

In the first substrate supporting portion 20A having the structure asdescribed above, when the scribing device guide body 30 slides towardthe substrate carry-out side, the first substrate supporting unit 21Aprovided near the scribing device guide body 30 integrally slides in thesame direction. Then, each of the first substrate supporting units 21Aslides toward the end portion on the substrate carry-out side with aspace apart from the adjacent first substrate supporting unit 21A in thesliding direction in turn. Thus, all the first substrate supportingunits 21A are arranged across the longitudinal direction of the mountingstructure 10 with predetermined spaces therebetween.

In this case, the scribing device guide body 30 slides toward thesubstrate carry-out side, and thus, the first transmission belt 16 amoves, the first carry-in pulley 14 a rotates, and the carry-in sidewinding drum 17 a rotates. Thus, the first substrate supporting units21A move integrally with the scribing device guide body 30, and the allthe first supporting belts 23 a wound to the carry-in side winding drum17 a are drawn out.

As described above, when all the first substrate supporting units 21A inthe first substrate supporting portion 20A are arranged across theentire region of the longitudinal direction of the mounting structure 10with predetermined spaces therebetween, the bonded mother substrate 90is placed on abut members 48 (see FIG. 9) of the substrateupward/downward moving device 40 provided on the first substratesupporting units 21A.

On the other hand, in the first substrate supporting portion 20A, whenthe scribing device guide body 30 slides toward the substrate carry-inside, the first substrate supporting unit 21A provided near the scribingdevice guide body 30 integrally slides in the same direction. Then, eachof the first substrate supporting units 21A slides toward the endportion on the substrate carry-in side becoming closer to the adjacentfirst substrate supporting unit 21A in the sliding direction. Thus, allthe first substrate supporting units 21A become close to each other inthe end portion on the substrate carry-in side.

In this case, as described above, the scribing device guide body 30slides toward the substrate carry-in side, and thus, the firsttransmission belt 16 a moves, the first carry-in pulley 14 a rotates,and the carry-in side winding drum 17 a rotates integrally with thefirst carry-in pulley 14 a. Thus, the first supporting belts 23 asupported by the guide rollers 21 d of the first substrate supportingunits 21A are wound to the carry-in side winding drum 17 a.

When the first substrate supporting units 21A slide in the end portionon the substrate carry-in side to the state where they are close to eachother with the bonded mother substrate 90 being held by the clamp device50 and supported on the first supporting belts 23 a, the firstsupporting belts 23 a are wound by the carry-in side winding drum 17 aas the first substrate supporting units 21A slide. Thus, there is nopossibility that the first supporting belts 23 a are in sliding contactwith a bottom surface of the bonded mother substrate 90.

The second substrate supporting portion 20B located on the substratecarry-out side with respect to the scribing device guide body 30 alsohas, for example, five second substrate supporting units 21B. The secondsubstrate supporting units 21B provided in the second substratesupporting portion 20B have similar structures as the first substratesupporting units 21A of the first substrate supporting portion 20Aexcept for that the substrate upward/downward moving device 40 is notprovided. In the second substrate supporting portion 20B, each of secondsupporting belts 23 b is respectively supported by the guide rollers 21d in all the second substrate supporting units 21B which are lined alongthe main frames 11.

Each of the second supporting belts 23 b has an end portion located inthe end portion on the substrate carry-out side fixed in place on themounting structure 10. The second supporting belts 23 b loop around theguide rollers 214 provided in the second substrate supporting unit 215which is closest to the scribing device guide body 30, pace below theguide rollers 21 d of all the second substrate supporting units 21Blined along the main frames 11 in the second substrate supportingportion 20B, and wound to the carry-out side winding drum 17 b providedbetween the first carry-out pulley 15 a and the second carry-out pulley15 b on the substrate carry-out side.

In the second substrate supporting portion 205, movers (not shown) whichform linear motors with the stators 12 provided on the main frames 11are respectively provided in end portions in the longitudinal directionof the second substrate supporting unit 21B located closest to thescribing device guide body 30. The movers are respectively inserted intothe stators 12. The movers slide inside the stators 12 to cause thesecond substrate supporting unit 21B close to the scribing device guidebody 30 independently slides along the main frames 11 separately fromthe scribing device guide body 30.

Further, the second substrate supporting unit 218 close to the scribingdevice guide body 30 is coupled to the second transmission belt 16 b.Thus, when the second substrate supporting unit 21B slides along themain frames 11, the second transmission belt 16 b is moved.

As described above, the second carry-out pulley 15 b around which thesecond transmission belt 16 b loops is coupled to the carry-out sidewinding drum 17 b. Thus, when the second substrate supporting units 21Battached to the second transmission belt 16 b is slid toward thesubstrate carry-out side, the second transmission belt 16 b moves in thesame direction and the second carry-out pulley 15 b rotates, thecarry-out wide winding drum 17 b rotates and the all the secondsupporting belts 23 b attached to the carry-out side winding drum 17 bare wound to the carry-out side winding drum 17 b.

In the second substrate supporting portion 20B, second substratesupporting units 21B adjacent to each other are coupled to each other byconnection arms 28 a respectively attached to the end portions of thesecond substrate supporting units 21B. Center portions of the connectionarms 28 a are rotatably attached to the second substrate supportingunits 21B. The and portions of the connection arms 28 a attached to thesecond substrate supporting units 21B adjacent to each other arerotatably attached to each other. The connection arm 28 a attached tothe second substrate supporting unit 21B provided to be closest to thesubstrate carry-out side has its end portion opposite to the end portionattached to the adjacent second substrate supporting unit 21B rotatablyattached to the main frames 11. Further, the connection arm 28 aattached to the second substrate supporting unit 21B close to thescribing device guide body 30 has one end portion rotatably attached tothe second substrate supporting unit 21B and the other end portionattached to an end portion of a connection arm 28 a attached to theadjacent second substrate supporting unit 21B.

In the second substrate supporting portion 20B having such a structure,when the second substrate supporting unit 21B close to the scribingdevice guide body 30 slides toward the substrate carry-in side, each ofthe second substrate supporting units 21B slide toward the end portionon the substrate carry-in side while being separated from the adjacentsecond substrate supporting unit 21B in the sliding direction. Thus, allthe second substrate supporting units 21B are arranged across theapproximately entire region in the longitudinal direction of themounting structure 10 with predetermined spaces therebetween.

In this case, the second substrate supporting unit 21B close to thescribing device guide body 30 slides toward the substrate carry-in side,and thus, the second transmission belt 16 b moves, the second carry-outpulley 15 b rotates and the carry-out side winding drum 17 b rotates.Thus, the second substrate supporting units 21B around which the secondsupporting belts 23 b loop move and the all the second supporting belts23 b wound to the carry-out side winding drum 17 b are drawn out.

As described above, when all the first substrate supporting units 21A ofthe first substrate supporting portion 20A are located acrossapproximately entire region of the longitudinal direction of themounting structure 10 with predetermined spaces therebetween, the bondedmother substrate 90 is placed on the abut members 48 (see FIG. 9) of thesubstrate upward/downward moving device 40 provided on the firstsubstrate supporting units 21A.

Thereafter, when the bonded mother substrate 90 is positioned, thepositioned bonded mother substrate 90 is held by the clamp device 50 andalso supported by first supporting belts 23 a of the first substratesupporting portion 20A.

In this state, cutting of the bonded mother substrate 90 is started bythe upper portion substrate cutting device 60 and the lower portionsubstrate cutting device 70 provided on the scribing device guide body30. As the scribing device guide body 30 moves toward the substratecarry-in aide, each of the first substrate supporting units 21A of thefirst substrate supporting portion 20A slides to the end portion on thesubstrate carry-in side while becoming closer to the adjacent firstsubstrate supporting unit 21A in the sliding direction. Further, each ofthe second substrate supporting unit 21B of the second substratesupporting portion 200 slides toward the end portion on the substratecarry-in side while being separated from the adjacent second substratesupporting unit 21B in the sliding direction. Thus, the bonded mothersubstrate 90 while being cut is also supported by the second supportingbelts 23 b of the second substrate supporting portion 20B.

When cutting of the bonded mother substrate 90 is finished, all thesecond substrate supporting units 21B of the second substrate supportingportion 20B are arranged across approximately entire region of thelongitudinal direction of the mounting structure 10 with predeterminedspaces therebetween, and the bonded mother substrate 90 is supported bythe second supporting belts 23 b.

Thus, when all the second substrate supporting units 21B of the secondsubstrate supporting portion 20B are arranged across approximatelyentire region of the longitudinal direction of the mounting structure 10with predetermined spaces therebetween, cut bonded mother substrate 90′(mill end) is supported on the second supporting belts 23 b supported bythe guide rollers 21 d provided on the second substrate supporting units21B after all the panel substrates are carried out by the substratecarry-out device 80.

Thereafter, the cut bonded mother substrate 90′ Is released from beingheld by the clamp device 50 and the second substrate supporting unit 21Bclose to the scribing device guide body 30 slides toward the end portionon the substrate carry-out side. Thus, each of the second substratesupporting units 21B slides toward the end portion on the substratecarry-out side while becoming closer to the adjacent second substratesupporting unit 21B in the sliding direction, and all the secondsubstrate supporting units 21B become close to each other in the endportion on the substrate carry-out side.

In this case, as described above, the second substrate supporting unit21B close to the scribing device guide body 30 slides toward thesubstrate carry-out side and the second transmission belt 16 b moves.Then, the second carry-out pulley 15 b rotates and the carry-out sidewinding drum 17 b rotates integrally with the second carry-out pulley 15b. Thus, the second supporting belts 23 b supported by the guide rollers21 d of the second substrate supporting units 21B are wound to thecarry-out side winding drum 17 b. The means for winding the firstsupporting belts 23 a and the second supporting belts 23 b is notlimited to those rotating the carry-in side winding drum 17 a and thecarry-out side winding drum 17 b by moving the scribing device guidebody 30 and the second substrate supporting units 21B as describedabove.

For example, a turning force may be applied in a direction to windsupporting belts to the winding drum all the time, and the scribingdevice guide body 30 and the second substrate supporting units 21B maybe moved by a force stronger than the turning force.

Further, a mechanism for winding the first supporting belts 23 a of thefirst substrate supporting portion 20A and the second supporting belts23 b of the second substrate supporting portion 20B described above mayinclude a device for applying tension to the first supporting belts 23 aand the second supporting belts 23 b appropriately in accordance withthe size of the device.

The carry-in pulleys 14 a and 14 b and the carry-out pulleys 15 a and 15b may include a clutch for coupling and decoupling the winding drums 17a and 17 b as necessary.

As described above, since the second substrate supporting units 21Bslide toward the end portion on the substrate carry-out aide, and thus,the guide rollers 21 d provided on the second substrate supporting units21B slid in the same direction, the second supporting belts 23 b aresequentially brought into a non-contact state without being in slidingcontact with the bottom surface of the cut bonded mother substrate 90′.The supports of the cut bonded mother substrate 90′ by the secondsupporting belts 23 b are sequentially released. When all the secondsubstrate supporting units 21D become close to each other in the endportion on the substrate carry-out side, the cut bonded mother substrate90′ (mill end) is not supported by the first supporting belts 23 a anymore and drops downward. In this case, the cut bonded mother substrate90′ dropped downward (mill end and cullet) is guided by a guiding platearranged in a slanted state and is accommodated within a culletaccommodation box.

FIG. 11 is a front view of the substrate upward/downward moving device40 provided in the first substrate supporting units 21A of the firstsubstrate supporting portion 20A with a part of the substrateupward/downward moving device 40 being broken. FIG. 12 is a perspectiveview thereof. On each of the first substrate supporting units 21Aprovided in the first substrate supporting portion 20A, the substrateupward/downward moving device 40 is provided between a pair of guiderollers 21 d. The substrate upward/downward moving device 40 includes amoving cylinder 41 attached to the support main body 21 a of the firstsubstrate supporting units 21A in a vertical fashion and positioningcylinders 42 located on both sides of the moving cylinder 41 in avertical fashion. The second substrate supporting units 21B provided inthe second substrate supporting portion 20B do not include such asubstrate upward/downward moving device.

A piston rod 41 a of the moving cylinder 41 is made to move upward, anda sliding member 43 is attached to a tip portion of the piston rod 41 a.The sliding member 43 includes sliding portions 43 a having a pipe shapewhich are provided on side so as to locate on both sides of the movingcylinder 41, and a connection portion 43 b having a plate shape whichcouples the sliding portions 43 a. The center portions of the slidingportions 43 a are attached to the tip portion of the piston rod 41 a ofthe moving cylinder 41.

The positioning cylinders 42 provided on both sides of the movingcylinder 41 have similar structures. Respective piston rods 42 a aremade to move upward. To the tip portions of the piston rods 42 a, guiderods 44 are coupled co-axially. The guide rods 44 are inserted throughthe sliding portions 43 a of the sliding member 43 with appropriatespaces therebetween. In lower parts of the sliding portions 43 a, slidebushings 47 which are in smooth sliding contact with the guide rods 44inserted through the sliding portions 43 a are provided.

To the lower end portions of the guide rods 44, set collars 45 having adisc shape are attached in a fitted state. On the set collars 45, buffermembers 46 having a disc shape which are formed of polyurethane rubberare attached in a fitted state. The set collars 45 are at predeterminedpositions respectively close to the positioning cylinders 42 when thepiston rods 42 a of the positioning cylinders 42 are retracted into thepositioning cylinders 42 to the innermost position.

On the connection portion 43 b of the sliding member 43, a fixing table43 c is provided. On the fixing table 43 c, the abut member 48 whichabuts the bottom surface of the bonded mother substrate when the bondedmother substrate 90 is carried to the substrate cutting system bycarrying means such as a carrying robot, carrying belt, or the like. Theabut member 48 includes an abut main body 48 a having a disc shape, andan axis portion 48 b vertically extended from the center portion of theabut main body 48 a. A lower and portion of the axis portion 48 b isinserted through an upper surface portion of the fixing table 43 c. Tothe axis portion 48 b of the abut member 48, a coil spring 48 c isfitted so as to position between the abut main body 48 a of the abutmember 48 and an upper surface of the fixing table 43 c. Furthermore, aplurality of coil springs 48 c are provided around the axis portion 48 bbetween the abut main body 48 a of the abut member 48 and the uppersurface of the fixing table 43 c. The coil springs 48 c apply forces tothe abut main body 48 a in upward direction. The abut main body 48 a issupported in a horizontal fashion by the coil springs 48 c.

In the substrate upward/downward moving device 40 having such astructure, all the moving cylinders 41 provided in the first substratesupporting portion 20A are driven integrally and all the positioningcylinders 42 are driven integrally. When the piston rods 41 a of themoving cylinders 41 are retracted to the innermost position, the abutmain bodies 48 a of the abut members 48 are at retraction positionswhich are below the upper end portion of the guide rollers 21 d. Thus,at such retraction positions, the abut main bodies 48 a of the abutmembers 48 are positioned below the bonded mother substrate 90 supportedby the first supporting belts 23 a in the first substrate supportingportion 20A.

When the piston rods 41 d of the moving cylinders 41 moves out to theuppermost position, the abut main bodies 48 a of the abut members 48 areat support positions above the upper and portions of the guide rollers21 d, protruded upward by a predetermined height from the firstsupporting belts 23 a. In such a case, the positioning cylinders 42 arenot driven. Therefore, when the piston rods 43 a of the moving cylinders41 move out, the sliding members 43 attached to the piston rods 41 aslide along the guide rods 44. When the piston rods 41 a of the movingcylinders 41 moves out to the uppermost position, the abut main bodies48 a of the abut members 48 are at positions above the first supportingbelts 23 a. The bonded mother substrate 90 is placed on and supported bythe abut main bodies 48 a of the abut members 48.

The moving cylinder 41 is formed to have the piston rod 41 a moved outby a predetermined amount such that the abut main body 48 a of the abutmember 48 is at a predetermined intermediate position protruded upwardby a predetermined height from the first supporting belts 23 a with thebonded mother substrate 90 being held. In this case, the moving cylinder41 is driven such that the piston rod 41 a of the moving cylinder 41which has been moved out to the uppermost position is retracted afterthe piston rods 42 a of the positioning cylinders 42 are made to moveout by predetermined amounts. In this way, the set collars 45 attachedto the guide rods 44 coupled to the piston rods 42 a are at thepredetermined positions and the sliding portions 438 of the slidingmember 43 abut the set collars 45 via the buffer members 46 by themoving cylinder 41 so that the sliding member 43 is at a predeterminedheight position. This causes the abut main body 48 a of the abut member48 to be at a predetermined height position and the bonded mothersubstrate 90 supported by the abut main body 48 a is placed at thatposition.

In the axis portion 48 b of the abut member 48, a through hole 48 d isformed. Through the through hole via a joint 48 e, gas, for example,compressed air, nitrogen, He or the like is to be blown out.

The second substrate supporting units 21B provided in the secondsubstrate supporting portion 20B does not have a substrateupward/downward moving device 40 having such a structure.

The structure of the substrate upward/downward moving device 40 asdescribed above is merely an example used in the substrate cuttingsystem of the present invention, and the structure is not limited tosuch a structure. As long as the substrate upward/downward moving device40 can receive and support the bonded mother substrate 90 carried to thesubstrate cutting system of the present invention by a carrying robot,carrying belt or the like inside the substrate cutting system, it mayhave any structure.

The mounting structure 10 includes a positioning device (not shown) forpositioning the bonded mother substrate 90 supported at a intermediateportion by all the substrate upward/downward moving devices 40 providedin the first substrate supporting portion 20A.

The positioning device includes, for example, a plurality of positioningpins (not shown) along one of the main frames 11 and along a directionorthogonal to the main frame 11 with predetermined spaces therebetween.For the positioning pins arranged along the one of the main frames 11,pushers (not shown) for pushing a side edge of the bonded mothersubstrate 90 which opposes the positioning pins supported at theintermediate position. For the positioning pins arranged in a directionorthogonal to the main frame 11, pushers (not shown) for pushing anopposing side edge of the bonded mother substrate 90 are provided.

Further, for example, when the positioning device for performingpositioning of the bonded mother substrate 90 immediately beforetransportation to the substrate cutting system of the present inventionis provided separately from the substrate cutting system, a positioningdevice within the substrate cutting system may be omitted.

Further, the positioning device within the substrate cutting system tonot limited to the positioning pins and pushers as described above. Itmay be any kind of devices as long as it can provide a constant positionof the bonded mother substrate 90 in the substrate cutting system.

Furthermore, the mounting structure 10 includes the clamp device 50 forclamping the bonded mother substrate 90 which is supported at theintermediate position by all the substrate upward/downward movingdevices 40 provided in the first substrate supporting portion 20A andpushed against the positioning pine so as to be positioned. For example,as shown in FIG. 5, the clamp device 50 includes a plurality of clampmembers 51 attached to one of the main frames 11 with predeterminedspaces therebetween in a longitudinal direction so as to clamp a sideedge of the positioned bonded mother substrate 90 along the main frame11, and a plurality of clamp members 51 arranged along the directionorthogonal to the main frames 11 with a predetermined spacestherebetween for clamping a side edge of the positioned bonded mothersubstrate 90 on the substrate carry-in side.

FIG. 13 is a perspective view for showing a plurality of clamp members51 provided on one of the main frames 11. FIG. 14 is a perspective viewfor showing an operation thereof. The clamp members 51 have similarstructures to each other. Each of the clamp members 51 includes a casing51 a attached to the main frame 11 and a pair of upper and lowerrotation arms 51 b attached to the casing 51 a so as to be rotatablefrom a vertical position to a horizontal position. Each of the rotationarms 51 b can rotate having one end portion as a center. The endportions to be the center of rotation are located close to each other. Atip portion of the upper rotation arm 51 b locates above the rotationcenter in the vertical position. A tip portion of the lower rotation arm51 b locates below the rotation center in the vertical position. Therotation arms 51 b respectively rotate by 90 degrees toward the bondedmother substrate 90, and thus, the rotation arms 51 b are in horizontalpositions opposing each other.

To the tip portions of the rotation arms 51 b, clamp portions 51 c whichrespectively abut the upper surface or the lower surface of the bondedmother substrate 90 are attached. The clamp portions 51 c are formed ofelastic body. The rotation arms 51 b are integrally rotated from thevertical position to the horizontal position and from the horizontalposition to the vertical position. When the rotation arms 51 b arerotated to the horizontal position, the clamp portions 51 c attached tothe tip portions of the rotation arms 51 b clamp the bonded mothersubstrate 90.

The clamp members 51 arranged along a direction orthogonal to the mainframes 11 have similar structures. These clamp members 51 are alsodriven integrally. After the side edges orthogonal to each other of thebonded mother substrate 90 are clamped by the plurality of clamp members51, all the clamp members 51 sink below, and the bonded mother substrate90 is supported by the first supporting belts 23 a of the firstsubstrate supporting portion 20A.

The structures of the clamp device 50 and the clamp members 51 asdescribed above are merely examples used in the substrate cutting systemof the present invention, and the structures are not limited to suchstructures. The clamp device 50 and the clamp members 51 may have anykind of structures as long as they can grip or hold the side edges ofthe bonded mother substrate 90. When the substrate size is small, thesubstrate can be held by clamping one position of the side edge of thesubstrate, and the substrate can be cut without causing a defect in thesubstrate.

As shown in FIG. 6, the upper portion substrate cutting device 60 isattached to the upper guide rail 31 in the scribing device guide body30. As shown in FIG. 7, the lower portion substrate cutting device 70having the similar structure as the upper portion substrate cuttingdevice 60 but inverted upside down is attached to the lower guide rail32. As described above, the upper portion substrate cutting device 60and the lower portion substrate cutting device 70 respectively slidealong the upper guide rail 31 and the lower guide rail 32 by the linearmotors.

For example, in the upper portion substrate cutting device 60 and thelower portion substrate cutting device 70, a cutter wheel 62 a forscribing the upper glass substrate of the bonded mother substrate 90 isrotatably attached to a tip holder 62 b, and the tip holder 62 b isrotatably attached to a cutter head 62 c having an axis in a directionvertical to the surface of the bonded mother substrate 90 held by theclamp device 50. The cutter head 62 c is movable along a directionvertical to the surface of the bonded mother substrate by driving meanswhich it not shown. The cutter wheel 62 a is appropriately loaded byenergizing means which is not shown.

The cutter wheel 62 a held by the tip holder 62 b may have a blade edgeprotruded so as to have a center portion in a width direction of a shapeof letter V with an obtuse angle and may have protrusions of apredetermined height formed on the blade edge with predetermined pitchesin a circumferential direction as disclosed in Japanese Laid-OpenPublication No. 9-188534.

The lower portion substrate cutting device 70 provided on the lowerguide rail 32 has a structure similar to the upper portion substratecutting device 60 but inverted upside down. A cutter wheel 62 a of thelower portion substrate cutting device 70 (see FIG. 7) is arranged so asto oppose the cutter wheel 62 a of the upper portion substrate cuttingdevice 60.

The cutter wheel 62 a of the upper portion substrate cutting device 60are pressed onto a surface of the bonded mother substrate 90 and rotatedby the above-described energizing means and moving means of the cutterhead 62 a. The cutter wheel 62 a of the lower portion substrate cuttingdevice 70 is pressed onto a back surface of the bonded mother substrate90 and rotated by the above-described energizing means and moving meansof the cutter head 62 c. By moving the upper portion substrate cuttingdevice 60 and the lower portion substrate cutting device 70 in the samedirection at the same time, the bonded mother substrate 90 is cut.

It is preferable that the cutter wheel 62 a is rotatably supported by acutter head 65 using a servo motor disclosed in WO 03/011777.

FIG. 15 shows a side view of an exemplary cutter head 65 using a servomotor. FIG. 16 is a front view of the main part of the cutter head 65. Aservo motor 65 b is held between a pair of side walls 65 a in aninverted state. In the lower part of the side walls 65 a, a holdermaintaining assembly 65 c having a shape of letter L when viewed fromside is rotatably provided via a spindle 65 d. On the front portion ofthe holder maintaining assembly 65 c (the right hand part in FIG. 16),the tip holder 62 b for rotatably supporting the cutter wheel 62 a viaan axis 65 e. Flat bevel gears 65 f are respectively attached to therotation axis of the servo motor 65 b and the spindle 65 d so as toengage each other. With such a structure, by rotating the servo motor 65b in normal or inverted direction, the holder maintaining assembly 65 cperforms an elevating operation having the spindle 65 d as a fulcrum andthe cutter wheel 62 a moves up and down. The cutter head 65 itself isincluded in the upper portion substrate cutting device 60 and/or lowerportion substrate cutting device 70.

FIG. 17 is a front view showing another example of a cutter head using aservo motor. In this example, the rotation axis of the servo motor 65 bis directly connected to the holder maintaining assembly 65 c.

The cutter heads of FIGS. 15 and 17 moves the cutter wheel 62 a forpositioning by rotating the servo motor by position control. Such acutter head controls a rotation torque which acts to bring back theposition of the cutter wheel 62 a to the position which has beenpreviously set to the servo motor 65 b when the position is moved fromthe set position, and transmits a scribing pressure to a brittlematerial substrate during scribing operation in which the cutter head ismoved in the horizontal direction to form scribe lines on the bondedmother substrate 90. In other words, the servo motor 65 b controls theposition of the cutter wheel 62 a in a vertical direction and alsoserves as energizing means for the cutter wheel 62 a.

By using the cutter head including the servo motor as described above,the rotation torque of the servo motor can be corrected while the bondedmother substrate 90 is being scribed instantly in accordance with thechange in a scribing pressure due to a variance in resistance applied tothe cutter wheel 62 a. Thus, stable scribing is performed and scribelines with high quality can be formed.

A cutter head including a mechanism to periodically change the pressureto the bonded mother substrate 90 by a scribing cutter by vibrating thescribing cutter such as a diamond point cutter and/or cutter wheel forscribing the bonded mother substrate 90 may also effectively applied tothe cutting of the mother substrate by the substrate cutting system ofthe present invention.

The structures of the upper portion substrate cutting device 60 and thelower portion substrate cutting device 70 are not limited to theabove-described structures. The devices may have any kind of structuresas long as they process the front and back surfaces of the substrate tocut the substrate.

For example, the upper portion substrate cutting device 60 and the lowerportion substrate cutting device 70 may be a device for cutting themother substrate by using laser light, a dicing saw, a cutting blade, adiamond cutter, or the like.

When the mother substrate is a metal substrate such as steel sheet, woodplate, a plastic substrate, and a brittle material substrate such asceramics substrate, glass substrate, semiconductor substrate or thelike, a scribing device for cutting the mother substrate by using, forexample, laser light, a dicing saw, a cutting blade, a diamond cutter,or the like may be used.

Furthermore, the upper portion substrate cutting device 60 and the lowerportion substrate cutting device 70 may further include cuttingassistance means for assisting in the cutting of the substrate. Thecutting assistance means may be, for example, means for pressing aroller or the like to the substrate, or means for warming (heating) thesubstrate by spraying compressed air to the substrate or blowing hot airto the substrate.

In the above example, the upper portion substrate cutting device 60 andthe lower portion substrate cutting device 70 have the same structure.However, they may have different structures depending upon the cuttingpattern of the substrate and cutting conditions for the substrate.

The operation of the substrate cutting system having such a structurewill be explained with reference mainly to an example in which a bondedsubstrate formed by bonding large-scale glass plates is cut.

For cutting the bonded mother substrate 90 formed by bonding large-scaleglass substrates to each other into a plurality of panel substrates 90 a(see FIG. 19), first, as shown in FIG. 18, all the second substratesupporting units 21B of the second substrate supporting portion 20B inthe substrate supporting device 20 are moved toward the end portion onthe substrate carry-out aide, and the scribing device guide body 30 isalso moved toward the end portion on the substrate carry-out side. Whenthe scribing device guide body 30 is moved to the end portion on thesubstrate carry-out side, all the first substrate supporting units 21Aon the carry-in side of the first substrate supporting portion 20A inthe substrate supporting device 20 are arranged across approximatelyentire region of the mounting structure 10 with predetermined spacestherebetween.

Then, moving cylinders 41 of all the substrate upward/downward movingdevices 40 provided in the first substrate supporting units 21A aredriven in synchronization, and the respective piston rods 41 a moveupward. Thus, the abut main bodies 48 a of the abut members 48 are atthe positions for receiving the bonded mother substrate which isprotruded above relative to the first supporting belts 23 a.

In such a state, the bonded mother substrate 90 is carried to thesubstrate cutting system from the end portion on the substrate carry-inside by a carrying conveyer, a carrying robot or the like. The bondedmother substrate 90 is supported by the abut main bodies 48 a of theabut members 48 in all of the substrate upward/downward moving devices40 in the first substrate supporting device 20A.

When the bonded mother substrate 90 is supported by the abut main bodies48 a of the abut members 48, a pair of positioning cylinders 42 in eachof the substrate upward/downward moving devices 40 are driven and thepiston rod 42 a moves out by a predetermined amount. Then the movingcylinders 41 of all the substrate upward/downward moving devices 40 aredriven in synchronization and the respective piston rods 41 a retractdownward. Thus, the set collars 45 attached to guide rods 44 coupled tothe piston rods 42 a are at the predetermined position, and the slidingportions 43 a of the sliding member 43 abut the set collars 45 via thebuffer members 46. Accordingly, the abut main bodies 48 a of the abutmembers 48 provided in the substrate upward/downward moving devices 40are at the intermediate positions above the first supporting belts 23 aby a predetermined height, and the bonded mother substrate 90 supportedby the abut main bodies 48 a in a horizontal fashion is positioned atthe intermediate position above the first supporting belts 23 a.

In such a state, compressed air to blown out from the through holes 48 dof the abut members 48 to slightly lift the bonded mother substrate 90from the abut main bodies 48 a. The bonded mother substrate 90 supportedby the abut main bodies 48 a in a horizontal fashion is pressed by apressure which is not shown so that it abut the positioning pins (notshown) arranged along one of the main frames 11 and also pressed by apressure which is not shown so that it abut the positioning pins (notshown) arranged along the direction orthogonal to the main frame 11. Inthis way, the bonded mother substrate 90 slightly lifted from the abutmain bodies 48 a in a horizontal fashion is positioned to apredetermined position within the mounting structure 10 in the substratecutting system.

Then, as shown in FIG. 19, the bonded mother substrate 90 supported bythe abut main bodies 48 a in a horizontal fashion has its side edgealong the one of the main frames 11 clamped by the clamp members 51 ofthe clamp device 50. The side edge of the bonded mother substrate 90 onthe substrate carry-in side edge is clamped by the clamp members 51arranged on the substrate carry-in side so as to be orthogonal to themain frames 11.

When the side edges of the bonded mother substrate 90 which areorthogonal to each other are respectively clamped by the clamp device50, the moving cylinder 41 and a pair of the positioning cylinders 42 ofeach of the substrate upward/downward moving devices 40 provided in thefirst substrate supporting units 21A are driven to retract the pistonrods 41 a and 42 a. The abut main bodies 48 a of the abut members 48 areat retracted position below the first supporting belts 23 a.Accordingly, the clamp members clamping the side edges of the bondedmother substrate 90 sink approximately at the same time due to theweight of the bonded mother substrate itself. Thus, the bonded mothersubstrate 90 is supported supplementarily by the first supporting belts23 a.

In such a state, the scribing device guide body 30 slide toward thesubstrate carry-in side so as to be a predetermined position on a sideedge near the bonded mother substrate 90 clamped by the clamp device 50in a horizontal fashion. The first optical device 38 and the secondoptical device 39 provided on the scribing device guide body 30 movealong the guide body 30 from waiting positions. Thus, the images of thefirst alignment mark and the second alignment mark provided on thebonded mother substrate 90 are taken.

In this example, since the scribing device guide body 30 slides, thefirst substrate supporting unit 21A in the substrate supporting device20 which is close to the scribing device guide body 30 slides toward theend portion on the substrate carry-in side, and the second substratesupporting units 21B in the second substrate supporting portion 20Bwhich is close to the scribing device guide body 30 slides toward theend portion on the substrate carry-it side.

Next, based on the results of taking the images of the first alignmentmark and the second alignment mark, angle of the bonded mother substrate90 supported by the clamp device 50 in a horizontal fashion in adirection along the scribing device guide body 30, cutting startposition and cutting end position by a calculation using an operationprocess device which is not shown. Based on the calculated results, thescribing device guide body 30 is moved with the upper portion substratecutting device 60 and the lower portion substrate cutting device 70 toout the bonded mother substrate 90.

In this example, as shown in FIG. 20, the cutter wheels 62 arespectively opposing the front surface and the back surface of thebonded mother substrate 90 are pressed onto the front back surfaces androtated. Thus, scribe lines are formed on the front surface and the backsurface of the bonded mother substrate 90.

At this time, as shown in FIG. 21, the cutter wheels 62 a are pressedand rotated on an upper mother substrate 91 and a lower mother substrate92 of the bonded mother substrate 90 along lines to be cut on the mothersubstrates 91 and 92 for scribing the mother substrates 91 and 92. Thus,vertical cracks Vm along thickness directions of the mother substrates91 and 92 are sequentially formed along the lines to be cut, and mainscribe lines MS are formed. The vertical cracks Vm are formed such thatthey extend by 80% or more of the thickness of the mother substrates 91and 92, and more preferably, 90% or more from surfaces of the mothersubstrates 91 and 92.

Thereafter, in the area outside the panel substrates obtained by cuttingthe mother substrates 91 and 92, the mother substrates 91 and 92 arescribed by pressing and rotating the cutter wheels 62 a along the mainscribe lines MS on the mother substrates 91 and 92 with spaces of about0.5 to 1.0 mm apart from the main scribe lines MS. In this way, verticalcracks Vs along the thickness directions of the mother substrates 91 and92 are sequentially formed along the main scribe lines MS to formsupplementary scribe lines SS.

At this time, the cutter wheels 62 a presses and rotates on the surfacesof the mother substrates 91 and 92, and the blades thereof cut into thesurfaces of the mother substrates 91 and 92. Thus, a compressed force isapplied to the surfaces of the mother substrates 91 and 92 and thecompressed force has influence on the surface portions of the verticalcracks Vm in the main scribe lines MS which have been already formed. Inthis example, the vertical cracks Vm forming the main scribe lines MSare formed to extend by 80% or more of the thickness of the mothersubstrates 91 and 92. Thus, when the surface portion of the mothersubstrates 91 and 92 are compressed, the vertical cracks Vm of the mainscribe lines MS have gaps on the surface portions of the mothersubstrates 91 and 92 compressed and gaps on bottom portions are widened.Therefore, the vertical cracks Vm are elongated toward the bondedsurface of the mother substrates 91 and 92. When the vertical cracks Vmreach the bonded surface of the mother substrates 91 and 92 and thevertical cracks Vm reach the bonded surface of the mother substrates 91and 92 across the entirety of the main scribe lines MS, the bondedmother substrate 90 is out along the main scribe lines MS.

It is preferable that the supplementary scribe lines SS are formed withspaces of about 0.5 to 1.0 mm apart from the main scribe lines MS. Whenthe spaces between the supplementary scribe lines SS and the main scribelines MS are smaller than 0.5 mm, a large compression force is appliedto the surface portion of the vertical cracks Vm forming the main scribelines MS, and damage such as chip may occur in the surface side endportions of the vertical cracks Vm. On the other hand, when the space islarger than 1.0 mm, the compression force applied to the vertical cracksVm on the main scribe lines MS is not enough, and the vertical cracks Vmmay not reach the bonded surface of the mother substrates 91 and 92.

As described above, by forming double scribe lines of the main scribelines MS and the supplementary scribe lines SS with predeterminedspaces, a plurality of panel substrates 90 a are cut out of the bondedmother substrate 90.

FIG. 22 is a diagram for illustrating a scribe pattern for cutting panelsubstrates 90 a out of the bonded mother substrate 90 by using suchdouble scribe lines of the main scribe lines MS and the supplementaryscribe lines SS. The cutter wheels 62 a of the upper portion substratecutting device 60 and the lower portion substrate cutting device 70 runalong side edges of the substrate carry-out side of two panel substrates90 a on the substrate carry-out side of the bonded mother substrate 90,and a double scribe line (main scribe line MS1 and supplementary scribeline SS1) is formed on the side edges of the substrate carry-out side ofthe two panel substrates 90 a.

Then, main scribe line MS2 and supplementary scribe line SS2 are formedalong the side edges of the substrate carry-in side of the two panelsubstrates 90 a on the substrate carry-out side of the bonded mothersubstrate 90. When the side edges of the substrate carry-out side andthe substrate carry-in side of the two panel substrates 90 a on thesubstrate carry-out side of the bonded mother substrate 90 are out, thescribing device guide body 30 slides toward the substrate carry-out sideso that the cutter wheels 62 a locate on the side edge portion locatedon the substrate carry-out side of the bonded mother substrate 90. Then,the upper portion substrate cutting device 60 and the lower portionsubstrate cutting device 70 slide along the upper guide rail 31 and thelower guide rail 32 so that the cutter wheels 62 a of the upper portionsubstrate cutting device 60 and the lower portion substrate cuttingdevice 70 are on an extension of the side edge of the panel substrate 90a on the substrate carry-out side and close to a frame 11A of the mainframes 11, which is close to the main frame 11. Along the extension ofthe side edge, a double scribe line (main scribe line MS3 andsupplementary scribe line SS3) is formed, and the side edge close to theframe 11A of the panel substrate 90 a on the substrate carry-out sideand close to the frame 11A of the main frames 11 is out.

Then, double scribe lines (main scribe lines MS4 to MS6 andsupplementary scribe lines SS4 to SS6) are formed in parallel with theframe 11A in a similar manner. Thus, side edges of the panel substrates90 a located on the substrate carry-out side in a direction along theframe 11A are respectively cut.

Thereafter, regarding two other panel substrates 90 a along the upperguide rail 31 and the lower guide rail 32, side edges of the panelsubstrates 90 a are cut by forming double scribe lines (main scribelines MS7 to MS12 and supplementary scribe lines SS7 to SS12) along sideedges of the panel substrates 90 a.

In the above description, an example where double scribe lines areindividually formed has been explained. However, the present inventionis not limited to such a method. As long as the double scribe lines areformed along the side edges of the panels 90 a, any method may be used.For example, double scribe lines may be formed on the side edges of thepanel substrates 90 a by using one scribe line.

FIG. 23 is a plan view for illustrating a scribe pattern for cuttingpanel substrates 90 a out of the bonded mother substrate 90 by usingdouble scribe lines of the main scribe lines MS and the supplementaryscribe lines SS. In this example, the mother substrates 91 and 92 of thebonded mother substrate 90 are out along first to eighth lines to be cutD1 through D8 in this order to become four panel substrates 90 aarranged in two rows and two columns.

The first line to be cut D1 corresponds to side edges of two panelsubstrates 90 a in a first row along a row direction (horizontaldirection), and is spaced apart from a side edge of the banded mothersubstrate 90 along the row direction by a predetermined space. Thesecond line to be cut D2 corresponds to side edges of the two panelsubstrates 90 a in the first low, which are close to the panel substrate90 a in a second row. The third line to be cut D3 corresponds to sideedges of two panel substrates 90 a in the second row which are close tothe panel substrates 90 a in the first row, and is spaced apart from thesecond line to be cut D2 by 2 to 4 mm. The fourth line to be cut D4corresponds to side edges of the two panel substrates 90 a in the secondrow in a row direction (horizontal direction), and is spaced apart fromthe other side edges of the bonded mother substrate 90 along the rowdirection by a predetermined space.

The fifth line to be cut D5 corresponds to side edges of two panelsubstrates 90 a in a first column along the column direction (verticaldirection), and is spaced apart from one side edge of the bonded mothersubstrate 90 along the column direction. The sixth line to be cut D6corresponds to the side edges of the two panel substrates 90 a in thefirst column, which are close to panel substrates 90 a in a secondcolumn. The line to be cut D7 corresponds to side edges of the two panelsubstrates 90 a in the second column, which are close to the panelsubstrates 90 a in the first column, and is spaced apart from the sixthline to be cut D6 by 2 to 4 mm. The line to be cut D8 corresponds to theside edges of the two panel substrates 90 a in the second column alongthe column direction (vertical direction), and is spaced apart from theother side edges of the bonded mother substrate 90 along the columndirection by a predetermined space.

For cutting such a bonded mother substrate 90, first, the cutter wheels62 a are pressed and rotated along, for example, the first to fourthlines to be cut D1 to D4 in this order. Thus, first to fourth mainscribe lines MS13 to MS16 are formed by vertical cracks having depths of90% or more of the thicknesses of the mother substrates 91 and 92 fromthe surface of the upper and lower mother substrates 91 and 92 of thebonded mother substrate 90.

In this state, the cutter wheels 62 a are pressed and rotated along thefifth line to be cut D5. Thus, fifth main scribe line MS17 is formedalong the fifth line to be cut D5.

Thereafter, sixth to eighth main scribe lines MS18 to MS20 are formedalong the sixth through eighth lines to be cut D6 to D8 in this order bypressing and rotating the cutter wheels 62 a along the sixth througheighth lines to be cut D6 to D8 in turn in a similar manner.

After the first through eighth main scribe lines MS 13 to MS 20 areformed as such, first supplementary scribe line SS13 is formed along thefirst main scribe line MS13 by pressing and rotating the cutter wheels62 a in a side edge portion of the bonded mother substrate 90, which ison opposite side of the panel substrates 90 a with respect to the firstmain scribe line MS13, with a space of about 0.5 to 1.0 mm from thefirst main scribe line MS13. Thus, vertical cracks on the first mainscribe line MS13 extend toward the bonded surface of the mothersubstrates 91 and 92 of the bonded mother substrate 90 and reach thebonded surface of the mother substrates 91 and 92. Such a phenomenaoccurs across entirety of the first main scribe line MS13, and thebonded mother substrate 90 to cut along the first main scribe line MS13.

Next, a second supplementary scribe line SS14 is formed along the secondmain scribe line MS14 by the cutter wheels 62 a in an area opposite tothe panel substrates 90 a with respect to the second main scribe lineMS14, with a space of about 0.5 to 1.0 mm from the second main scribeline MS14. Thus, vertical cracks on the second main scribe line MS14extend toward the bonded surface of the mother substrates 91 and 92 ofthe bonded mother substrate 90 from the surfaces of the mothersubstrates 91 and 92 of the bonded mother substrate 90, and the verticalcracks reach the bonded surface of the mother substrates 91 and 92across the entirety of the second main scribe line MS14. In this way,the bonded mother substrate 90 is cut along the second main scribe lineMS14.

Along the third main scribe line MS15 and the fourth main scribe lineMS16, third supplementary scribe line SS15 and a fourth supplementaryscribe line SS16 are respectively formed on the side opposite to thepanel substrates 90. Thus, the bonded mother substrate 90 issequentially cut along the third main scribe line MS15 and the fourthmain scribe line MS16.

Thereafter, along the fifth to eighth main scribe lines MS17 to MS20,fifth to eighth supplementary scribe lines SS17 to SS20 are formed onthe side opposite to the panel substrates 90 a respectively between thefirst main scribe line 13 and the second main scribe line MS14, andbetween the third main scribe line MS35 and the fourth main scribe lineMS16. Thus, the bonded mother substrate 90 are cut along the fifth toeighth main scribe lines MS17 to MS20 and unnecessary portions areremoved. As a result, four panel displays 90 a can be obtained.

In this example, the first to eighth main scribe lines MS13 to MS20 areformed between end surfaces of the bonded mother substrate 90, morespecifically, formed across the entirety of the lines to be cut D1 to D8formed across one end surface of the bonded mother substrate 90 b to theopposing other and surface. Further, the first to eighth supplementaryscribe lines SS13 to SS20 are respectively formed across the end surfaceor one cut surface which has been cut to the opposing other end surfaceor the other cut surface.

The present invention is not limited to the method in which the first toeighth main scribe lines MS13 to MS20 are formed across the entirety ofthe lines to be cut D1 to D8 formed between the end surfaces of thebonded mother substrate 90, the first to fourth supplementary scribelines SS13 to SS16 across the one end surface of the bonded mothersubstrate 90 and the opposing other end surface, and the fifth to theeighth supplementary scribe lines SS17 to the SS20 are formed across onecut surface of the bonded mother substrate 90 to the opposing other cutsurface. As shown in FIG. 24, positions spaced apart from the one endsurface of the mother glass substrate 10 by about 0.2 to 0.5 mm may bethe start positions of the first to eighth main scribe lines MS13 to MS20, and similarly, positions in front of the other end surfaces by about0.2 to 0.5 mm may be end portions of the first to eighth main scribelines MS13 to MS20.

In this example, when the cutter wheels 62 a are pressed and rotated onthe mother substrates 91 and 92 of the bonded mother substrate 90 toperform scribing for forming the first to eighth main scribe lines MS13to MS20, vertical cracks extend in back and front directions of thescribing direction with respect to the scribing start positions. Thus,the first to eighth main scribe lines MS13 to MS20 to be formed reachone end surface of the mother substrates 91 and 92 of the bonded mothersubstrate 90.

Similarly, even though the scribing end positions of the first to eighthmain scribe lines MS13 to MS20 are in front of the other end surface ofthe mother substrates 91 and 92 of the bonded mother substrate 90, sincethe vertical cracks in the mother substrates 91 and 92 extend in thescribing direction, the first to eighth main scribe lines MS13 to MS20to be formed reach the other end surface of the mother substrates 91 and92.

This shows that it is not necessary to form first to eighthsupplementary scribe lines SS13 to SS20 across one end surface or onecut surface which has been cut of the mother substrates 90 and 91 to theopposing other end surface or the opposing other cut surface. As shownin FIG. 24, positions appropriately spaced apart from one end surface orthe one cut surface which has been cut of the mother substrates 91 and92 of the bonded mother substrate 90 by 0.2 to 0.5 mm may be startpositions of the first to eighth supplementary scribe lines SS13 toSS20. Similarly, positions in front of the other end surface or cutsurface by about 0.2 to 0.5 mm may be end positions of the first toeighth supplementary scribe lines SS13 to SS20.

Furthermore, one of the first to eighth main scribe lines MS13 to MS20and the first to eighth supplementary scribe lines SS13 to SS20 may beformed across the one end surface or one cut surface which has been cutof the mother substrates 91 and 92 of the bonded mother substrate to theother end surface or the other cut surface of the mother substrates 91and 92, and the other of the first to eighth main scribe lines MS13 toMS20 and the first to eighth supplementary scribe lines SS13 to SS20 maybe formed across the position appropriately space apart from the one endsurface or one cut surface which has been cut of the mother substrates91 and 92 of the bonded mother substrate 90 to positions in front of theother end surface or the other cut surface of the mother substrates 91and 92.

FIG. 25 is a plan view for illustrating another scribe patter forcutting the panel substrates 90 a out of the bonded mother substrate 90.In this scribing method, first and second main scribe lines MS13 andMS14 are formed by the cutter wheels 162 a, along first and second linesto be cut D1 and D2 on the bonded mother substrate 90 along thehorizontal direction are respectively formed by vertical cracks whichextend to 90% or more of the thicknesses of the mother substrates 91 and92 from the surfaces of the mother substrates 91 and 92 of the bondedmother substrate 90. Thereafter, in the area between the first andsecond main scribe lines MS13 and MS14, fifth main scribe line MS17along the fifth line to be cut D5 along the vertical direction is formedby the cutter wheels 62 a, and fifth supplementary scribe lines SS17 isformed on the side opposite to the panel substrates 90 a being spacedapart from the fifth main scribe line MS17 by about 0.5 to 1.0 mm.

In this example, the fifth main scribe line MS17 and the fifthsupplementary scribe line SS117 respectively cross the first and secondmain scribe lines MS13 and MS14. The fifth main scribe line MS17 runsover the second main scribe line MS14 and then is inverted by 180degrees to form the fifth supplementary scribe line SS17 so that thefifth main scribe line MS17 and the fifth supplementary scribe line SS17are formed continuously with one scribing.

Thereafter, similarly, in the area between the first and second mainscribe lines MS13 and MS14, sixth scribe line MS18 is formed by thecutter wheels 62 a along sixth line to be cut D8, and then is invertedto form sixth supplementary scribe line SS18 on the side opposite to thepanel substrates 90 a. Further, seventh main scribe line MS19 andseventh supplementary scribe lines SS19, and eight main scribe line MS20and eighth supplementary scribe lines SS20 are formed similarly in turn.Since the fifth to eighth main scribe lines SS17 to SS20 and the fifthto eighth supplementary scribe lines SS17 to SS20 pass across the firstand second main scribe lines MS13 and MS14, it is ensured that verticalcracks forming the first and second main scribe lines MS13 and MS14reach the bonded surface of the mother substrates 91 and 92 of thebonded mother substrate 90 across the entirety of the first and secondmain scribe lines MS13 and MS14, and a pair of the panel substrates 90 aare obtained.

Before the substrate is cut into the pair of the panel substrates 90 aat this point, an area of the bonded mother substrate 90 which has notbeen cut is referred to a second substrate portion 90 c.

Next, as shown in portion (b) of FIG. 25, on the second substrateportion 90 c out by the second main scribe line MS14, the cutter wheels62 a are pressed and rotated along the lines to be cut D3 and D4 on thebonded mother substrate 90 along the vertical direction, and third andfourth main scribe lines MS15 and MS16 are formed by vertical cracksextended to 90% or more of the thicknesses of the mother substrates 91and 92 from the surfaces of the mother substrates 91 and 92 of thebonded mother substrate 90. Thereafter, in the area between the thirdand fourth main scribe lines MS15 and MS16, ninth main scribe line MS21and fifth supplementary scribe line SS21 along ninth line to be cut D9along the vertical direction, tenth main scribe line MS22 and tenthsupplementary scribe line SS22 along the tenth line to be cut D10,eleventh main scribe line MS23 and eleventh supplementary scribe lineSS23 along the eleventh line to be cut D11, and twelfth main scribe lineMS24 and twelfth supplementary scribe line SS24 along the twelfth lineto be cut D12 are sequentially formed outside the panel substrates 90 aso as to cross the third and fourth main scribe lines MS15 and MS16.Thus, the second substrate portion 90 c is cut, and a pair of panelsubstrates 90 c are out.

It is not necessary that the fifth to twelfth supplementary scribe linesSS21 to SS24 cross the first and third main scribe lines MS13 and MS15.For example, as shown in FIG. 26, positions in front of the first andthird main scribe lines MS13 and MS15 by about 0.2 to 0.5 mm may be endportions of the fifth to twelfth supplementary scribe lines SS17 toSS24. In such a case, vertical cracks forming the fifth to twelfthsupplementary scribe lines SS17 to S824 also extend in the scribingdirection. The fifth to twelfth main scribe lines MS17 to MS24 are cutacross the entirety of the main scribe lines MS17 to MS24.

In the case where the scribe lines are formed to cross each other forcutting the substrate as described above, as shown in FIG. 27, first,the main scribe lines MS13 to MS16 are formed along the first to fourthlines to be cut D1 to D4, and then, the fifth main scribe line MS17 andthe fifth supplementary scribe line SS17, the sixth main scribe lineMS18 and the sixth supplementary scribe line SS18, the seventh mainscribe line MS19 and the seventh supplementary scribe line SS19, and theeighth main scribe line MS20 and the eighth supplementary scribe lineSS20 are formed to respectively cross the first main scribe line MS13and fourth main scribe line MS16 such that the main scribe lines and thesupplementary scribe lines are formed continuously with one scribing byinverting the line by 180 degrees after they cross over the fourth mainscribe line MS16.

FIG. 28 is a schematic plan view for illustrating, a scribing patternfor cutting the panel substrates 90 a out of the bonded mother substrate90 by using double scribe lines of main scribe lines MS andsupplementary scribe lines SS. First, four scribe lines along lines tobe scribed S1 to S4 with respect to the panel substrates 90 a(hereinafter, four linear scribe lines across the entire circumferencesof the panel substrates 90 a will be referred to as main scribe lineDS1) are formed. Then, outside the panel substrates 90 a with respect tothe main scribe line DS1, four linear sub-scribe line DS2 in parallel tothe main scribe line DS1 spaced apart from the main scribe line DS1 byabout 0.5 to 1 mm.

As described above, when the sub-scribe line DS2 is formed with a spaceof about 0.5 to 1 mm apart from the main scribe line DS1, a stress isapplied to a horizontal direction which is orthogonal to the formationdirection of the scribe lines on a surface of the bonded mothersubstrate 90 when the sub-scribe line S2 is formed. Thus, a compressionforce is applied to surface portions of the vertical cracks which formthe main scribe line DS1 which has been already formed. When thecompression force is applied to the surf ace portion of the verticalcracks forming the main scribe line DS1 as such, a reaction force isapplied in a direction to widen the width of the vertical cracks formingthe main scribe line DS1. In this way, the vertical cracks extend in thethickness direction of the bonded mother substrate 90 and the verticalcracks reach the bonded surface of the mother substrates 91 and 92 ofthe bonded mother substrate.

In this example, as shown in FIG. 29, sub-scribe line DS2 may be formedcontinuously after the main scribe line DS1 without separating thecutter wheels 624 from the front and back surfaces of the bonded mothersubstrate 90 after the main scribe line DS1 is formed.

Furthermore, when scribe lines are first formed along lines to bescribed S1 and S2, and then scribe lines are continuously formed alonglines to be scribed S4 and S2, as shown in FIG. 30, the sub-scribe lineDS2 may be formed after the main scribe line DS1 is formed.

As described above, by forming the double scribe line of the main scribeline MS and supplementary scribe line SS with a predetermined space aplurality of panel substrates 90 a are cut out of the bonded mothersubstrate 90.

Then, the scribing device guide body 30 slides as shown in FIG. 31.Thus, each of the first substrate supporting units 21A of the firstsubstrate supporting portion 20A slides toward the substrate carry-inside such that the space with the adjacent first substrate supportingunit 21A becomes smaller.

In the above description, an example in which double scribe lines areindividually formed has been explained. However, the present inventionis not limited to such an example. As long as double scribe lines areformed along the side edges of the display bonded substrates 90 a, anymethod may be used. For example, double scribe lines are formed on onescribe line panel substrates 90 a.

Further, as a method for cutting the substrate, a method in which doublescribe lines are formed on the bonded mother substrates where the glasssubstrates, which is a type of brittle material substrate, are bonded asmother substrates has been described. However, the present invention isnot limited to this. When the mother substrate is a metal substrate suchas steel sheet, wood plate, a plastic substrate, and a brittle materialsubstrate such as ceramics substrate, glass substrate, semiconductorsubstrate or the like, a method for cutting the mother substrate byusing, for example, laser light, a dicing saw, a cutting blade, adiamond cutter, or the like may be used.

Furthermore, the substrates include, besides mother substrate, a bondedsubstrate formed by bonding the same type of mother substrates, a bondedmother substrate formed by bonding different types of mother substrates,and a substrate formed by laminating mother substrates.

In this way, as the panel substrates 90 a from the bonded mothersubstrate 90 are sequentially cut and made to be removable from thebonded mother substrate 90, substrate carry-out device 80 slides and thepanel substrates 90 a are sequentially adsorbed by the substratecarry-out device 80 and carried out of the mounting structure 10.

When the cutting of the panel substrates 90 a is finished and all thecut panel substrates 90 a are carried out of the mounting structure 10,as shown in FIG. 31, the scribing device guide body 30 slides to theposition closest to the end portion on the substrate carry-in aide.Thus, all the first substrate supporting units 21A in the firstsubstrate supporting portion 20A are arranged to be close to each otherin the end portion on the substrate carry-in side of the mountingstructure 10. At this time, the second substrate supporting unit 21Blocated to be the closest to the scribing device guide body 30 in thesecond substrate supporting portion 20B moves in accordance withmovement of the scribing device guide body 30. Thus, all the secondsubstrate supporting units 21B in the second substrate supportingportion 20B are arranged to have a predetermined space across theentirety below the cut bonded mother substrate 90′.

Then, as shown in FIG. 32, when all the panel substrates 90 a arecarried out from the bonded mother substrate 90, the cut bonded mothersubstrate 90′ which has become a frame since all the panel substrates 90a are carried out is released from clamping by the clamp members 51.Then, the second substrate supporting unit 21B closest to the scribingdevice guide body 30 slides toward the end portion on the substratecarry-out aide. Thus, the second supporting belts 23 b supporting thecut bonded mother substrate 90′ sequentially release the support of thecut bonded mother substrate 90′. Clamping by the clamp members 51 isreleased, and the cut bonded mother substrate 90′ drops downward, isguided by the guide plate to be accommodated in the cullet accommodationbox.

Further, instead of the above-described scribing methods for formingdouble scribe lines, a device for warming (heating) the bonded substrate90 by spraying compressed air to the front and back surfaces of thebonded mother substrate 90 or blowing hot air to the front and backsurfaces of the bonded mother substrate 90 may be provided on thesubstrate carry-out side of the scribing device guide body 30 as adevice for cutting the bonded mother substrate 90 after the scribingprocess.

FIG. 33 is a front view of important parts of a steam unit portion 75 asviewed from the substrate carry-in side. Six steam units 76 are attachedto an upper steam unit attachment bar 77 and six steam units 76 areattached to a lower steam unit attachment bar 78 with a gap GA spacedapart from the upper six steam units 76. The gap GA is adjusted so as toallow the bonded mother substrate 90 to pass through the gap when thesteam units 76 move toward the substrate carry-in side.

After the steam unit portion 75 arranged on the substrate carry-out sideof the scribing device guide body 30 is scribed by the scribing deviceguide body 30, the bonded mother substrate 90 which has been alreadyscribed and is clamped (held) by the clamp device 50 and supported bythe second substrate supporting portion 20B slides (moves) toward thesubstrate carry-in side so as to pass through the gap between aplurality of upper and lower steam units 76 of the steam unit portion.

FIG. 34 is a partial cross-sectional side view showing the structures ofthe steam units 76. Each of the steam units 76 is mostly made of analuminum material, and a plurality of heaters 76 a are embedded in avertical direction. When an opening/closing valve (not shown) which canbe opened or closed automatically is opened, water flows into the steamunit 76 from a water supply port 76 b and heated by the heaters 76 a.The supplied water is vaporized and becomes steam. The steam is blown tothe surface of the mother substrate through a conducting hole 76 c andfrom a spray nozzle 76 d.

Further, on the carry-out side of the upper steam unit attachment bar77, an air knife 71 for removing water which remains on the surface ofthe bonded mother substrate 90 after the steam is blown to the uppersurface of the bonded mother substrate 90 is attached.

The lower steam unit attachment bar 78 also includes the steam units 76and the air knife 71 similar to those attached to the upper steam unitattachment bar 77.

The cutter wheel 62 a of the upper portion substrate cutting device 60and the cutter wheels 62 a of the lower portion substrate cutting device70 generate vertical cracks in the portions of the glass substrateswhere the cutter wheels 62 a rotated, and a scribe line 95 is formed.Since protrusions are formed in a predetermined pitch in peripheraledges of the blade edges of the cutter wheels 62 a, vertical crackshaving the length of about 90% of the thickness of the glass substratein the thickness direction are formed in the glass substrates.

Further, a scribing method using a cutter head including a mechanism forperiodically changing (vibrating) a pressure to the bonded mothersubstrate 90 by a scribe cutter such as a diamond point cutter, cutterwheel or the like for scribing the bonded mother substrate 90 may beeffectively applied to the cutting of the bonded mother substrate 90 bythe substrate cutting system of the present invention.

As the method for scribing the front and back surfaces of the bondedmother substrate 90, a conventional method as shown in FIG. 35, in whichscribe lines are formed in turn along lines to be scribed S1 to S4 alonga vertical direction, which is a narrow side direction of the bondedmother substrate 90, and then scribe lines are formed in turn alonglines to be scribed S5 to S8 along the horizontal direction, which iswide side direction, may be used in general.

Beside the above-described scribing method, a scribing method as shownin FIG. 36 may be preferably used for the substrate cutting system ofthe present invention. In FIG. 20, four panel substrates 90 a are formedfrom one bonded mother substrate 90.

The bonded mother substrate 90 has a rectangular shape. Four panelsubstrates 90 a are obtained by forming two panel substrates 90 a alongthe longitudinal direction of the bonded mother substrate 90 and formingtwo panel substrates 90 a along the width direction which is orthogonalto the longitudinal direction. Each of the panel substrates 90 a isformed with an appropriate apace apart from the adjacent panel substrate90 a and from side edges along the longitudinal direction and side edgesof the width direction of the bonded mother substrate 90.

By having the cutter wheel 62 a of the upper portion substrate cuttingdevice 60 and the cutter wheel 62 a of the lower portion substratecutting device 70 oppose each other, and are pressed and rotated at thesame time, scribe lines across the entire circumference are formed onthe front and back surface of the bonded mother substrate 90 for each ofthe cut substrates 90 a one by one in turn.

In this example, first, scribe line is formed along one linear line tobe scribed S1 along the side edges parallel to the longitudinaldirection of the bonded mother substrate 90 for the panel substrate 90 ato be scribed. More specifically, the cutter wheels 62 a of the cutterheads 62 c are pressed and rotated on the bonded mother substrate 90along the line to be scribed S1.

In FIG. 37, it is shown that the scribe start point by the cutter wheels62 a is a position on the bonded mother substrate 90 (a position forinternal cut). However, it may be a position near the outside of the endsurface of the bonded mother substrate 90 along the line to be scribedS1 (a position for external cut).

When the scribe line is formed along the line to be scribed S1 by avertical crack which extends across the entirety of the thicknessdirection, the scribing device guide body 30 is moved to Y direction andthe upper portion substrate cutting device 60 and the lower portionsubstrate cutting device 70 are moved in X direction at the same timesuch that the cutter wheels 62 a revolves around the vertical axis by270 degrees to form a circular trace having a radius of about 1 mm (acorner portion A in FIG. 37).

When the cutter wheels 62 a are revolving, the pressure of the cutterwheels 62 a to the bonded mother substrate 90 is reduced so that thereis no deep vertical crack formed on the bonded mother substrate 90. Whenthe thickness of the bonded substrate 90 is 0.7 mm, the depth of thevertical crack formed in the bonded mother substrate 90 when the cutterwheels 61 a is revolving to about 100 to 200 μm.

When the cross-scribing is performed by the cutter wheels 62 a as shownin FIG. 35, a chip tends to be generated in the bonded mother substrate90 at cross points of the scribe lines formed when scribing is performedin first direction and scribing is performed in second direction.

Since a vertical cracks which almost extends to the thickness of thebonded mother substrate 90 has been already formed when scribing isperformed in the first direction, the mother glass substrate 90 sinks infront of the first scribe line when the cutter wheels 62 a reach nearthe scribe line in the first direction while scribing in the seconddirection and such a chip may be generated when the cutter wheels 62 arun on the glass substrates along the scribe line in the first directionat a crossing portion of the scribe line in the first direction and ascribe line in the second direction.

In the scribing method as shown in FIG. 36, the cutter wheels 62 arevolve and cross the scribe line which has been already formed alongthe line to be scribed S1 with the pressure to the bonded mothersubstrate 90 being reduced. Thus, a part of the bonded mother substrate90 does not sink before the scribing lines cross each other, and thus,it is possible to prevent a chip from occurring in the bonded mothersubstrate 90 when the scribing lines cross each other.

When travel direction of the cutter wheels 62 a revolve by 270 degreesand the cutter wheels 62 a are along the linear line to be scribed S2along the width direction of the panel substrates 90 a which areorthogonal to the line to be scribed S1, the cutter wheels 62 a arepressed and rotated along the line to be scribed S2. Thus, the scribeline is formed by a vertical crack which extends across the entirety ofthe thickness direction along the line to be scribed S2.

Then, again, the cutter wheels 62 a revolve by 270 degrees to adirection orthogonal to the line to be scribed S2 while forming acircular trace having a radius of about 1 mm in corner portion B withoutseparating the cutter wheels 62 a from the front and back surfaces ofthe bonded mother substrate 90. Thus, the cutter wheels 62 a are alongthe line to be scribed S3 and form the scribe line by a vertical crackwhich extends across the entirety of the thickness direction along theline to be scribed S3. Furthermore, again, the cutter wheels 62 arevolve by 270 degrees to a direction orthogonal to the line to bescribed S3 while forming a circular trace having a radius of about 1 mmin corner portion C without separating the cutter wheels 62 a from thefront and back surfaces of the bonded mother substrate 90. Thus, thecutter wheels 62 a are along the line to be scribed 64 and form thescribe line by a vertical crack which extends across the entirety of thethickness direction along the line to be scribed S4.

In this way, a closed curve including four linear scribe lines is formedaround a panel substrate 90 a. Then, for example, for forming the panelsubstrate 90 a adjacent in the longitudinal direction of the bondedmother substrate 90, a closed curve including four linear scribe linesis formed across the entire circumference of the panel substrate 90 asimilarly. Then, closed curves including four linear scribe lines areformed across the entire circumferences for each of the remaining pairof the panel substrates 90 a in turn.

Besides the above-described scribing method, a scribing method as shownin FIG. 37 can be preferably used in the substrate cutting system of thepresent invention. In FIG. 37, four panel substrates 90 a are formedfrom one bonded mother substrate 90.

In the scribing method shown in FIG. 37, scribe lines along lines to bescribed S1 and S2 which are orthogonal to each other on the panelsubstrates 90 a are formed in the method as described above. For formingthe scribe line along the line to be scribed S1, the cutter wheels 62 ais positioned outside the end surface of the bonded mother substrate 90and the scribe line along the line to be scribed S1 is continuouslyformed therefrom.

A chip which may be generated when the cutter wheels 62 a run on thefront and back surfaces of the bonded mother substrate 90 at the startof scribing does not affect the panel substrates 90 a to becomeproducts.

Then, the cutter wheels 62 a revolve by 270 degrees to a directionorthogonal to the line to be scribed S1 while forming a circular tracein the corner portion A. Thus, the cutter wheals 62 a are along the lineto be scribed S2 and form the scribe line by a vertical crack whichextends across most of the entirety of the thickness direction along theline to be scribed S2.

Then, the cutter wheels 62 a are temporarily separated from the surfaceof the bonded mother substrate 90, and the scribe lines along the linesto be scribed S3 and S4 in a direction orthogonal to the line to bescribed s1 are formed in this order. In this case, a chip which may begenerated when the cutter wheels 62 a run on the front and back surfacesof the bonded mother substrate 90 at the start of scribing does notaffect the panel substrates 90 a to become products.

In this way, four linear scribe lines are formed around the panelsubstrate 90 a. Then, for example, for forming the panel substrate 90 aadjacent in the longitudinal direction of the bonded mother substrate90, four linear scribe lines are formed across the entire circumferenceof the panel substrate 90 a similarly. Then, closed curves includingfour linear scribe lines are formed across the entire circumferences foreach of the remaining pair of the panel substrates 90 a in turn.

After the scribe lines are formed on the bonded mother substrate by theabove-described scribing method, the steam unit portion 75 moves towardthe substrate carry-in side and blows the steam entirely on the frontand back surfaces of the bonded mother substrate 90 on which the scribelines are carved to completely cut the bonded mother substrate 90. Atthe same time, the water remaining on the front and back surfaces of thebonded mother substrate 90 after the steam is blown thereto is removedby the air knife 71.

By blowing the steam onto the entire front and back surface of thebonded mother substrate 90 having the scribe lines carved thereon, thescribe lines formed by the cutter wheel tips 62 a experience volumeexpansion since the front and back surface portions of the bonded mothersubstrate 90 are heated. In this way, vertical cracks extend from thesurface of the upper and lower mother substrates of the bonded mothersubstrate 90 toward the bonded surface, and the bonded mother substrate90 is completely cut.

In the above description of the operations of the substrate cuttingsystem according to the present invention, an example in which themother glass substrate formed by bonding glass substrates is cut hasbeen described. However, the present invention is not limited to this.For example, operations different from the above description may beperformed depending on the types of the substrates to be cut or in orderto enhance the functionalities of the devices which form the substratecutting system.

Embodiment 2

FIGS. 38 and 39 are schematic perspective view showing another exampleof the embodiment of the substrate cutting system according to thepresent invention in whole as viewed from different directions.

In the present invention, “substrates” include mother substrates cutinto a plurality of substrates and also include single plates of metalsubstrates such as steel sheets, wood plates, plastic substrates andceramic substrate, semiconductor substrates, and brittle materialsubstrates such as glass substrates. Furthermore, the “substrates” arenot limited to such single plates, but also includes bonded substratesformed by bonding pairs of substrates and laminated substrates formed bylaminating pairs of substrates.

The substrate cutting system according to the present invention cut thebonded mother substrate 90 formed by boding a pair of mother glasssubstrates to each other into a plurality of panel substrates (displaypanel bonded substrates) for producing, for example, panel substrates(display panel bonded substrates) of the liquid crystal displayapparatus which are bonded to each other.

Regarding a substrate cutting system 100 according Embodiment 2, a sideon which a first substrate supporting portion 120A is located isreferred to as a substrate carry-in side and a side on which a substratecarry-out device 180 is located is referred to as a substrate carry-outside in the following description. In the substrate cutting system 100,a direction in which the substrates are carried (substrate flowingdirection) is +Y direction from the substrate carry-in side to thesubstrate carry-out side. The direction in which the substrates arecarried is a direction orthogonal to a scribing device guide body 130 ina horizontal fashion and the scribing device guide body 130 is providedalong X direction.

The substrate cutting system 100 includes a hollow mounting structure110 having a parallelepiped shape. On an upper surface of the mountingstructure 110, four pillars 114 are provided, and a main frame 111 of aframe is located on the pillars 114. On the upper surface of themounting structure 110, a substrate supporting device 120 for supportingthe bonded mother substrate 90 to be carried to the substrate cuttingsystem 100 by a carrying robot in a horizontal manner is located.

As shown in FIG. 38, the substrate supporting device 120 includes afirst substrate supporting portion 120A located on the substratecarry-in side of the substrate cutting system 100 for supporting thebonded mother substrate 90 to be carried into the main frame 111, and asecond substrate supporting portion 120B located on the substratecarry-out side of the substrate cutting system 100 for supporting thebonded mother substrate 90 after the bonded mother substrate 90 is cutand the display panels are sequentially carried out of the substratecutting system. In the mounting structure 110, the first substratesupporting portion 120A side is a substrate carry-in side, the secondsubstrate supporting portion 120B side is a carry-out side.

Further, as shown in FIG. 39, on the mounting structure 110, a clampdevice 150 for holding a substrate held in a horizontal manner by thesubstrate supporting device 120 (a first substrate supporting unit 121A)in a horizontal manner is provided. Further, as shown in FIG. 38, an theupper surface of the mounting structure 110, scribing device guide body130 is provided so as to be movable along frames 111A and 111B in thelongitudinal direction of the main frame 111. The scribing device guidebody 130 includes an upper guide rail 131 extending along X directionorthogonal to frames 111A and 111B in the longitudinal direction of themain frame 111 above the main frame 111 and a lower guide rail 32extending along the upper guide rail 131 below the main frame 111. Theupper guide rail 131 and the lower guide rail 132 are formed so as tomove integrally along the frames 111A and 111B in the longitudinaldirection (Y direction) of the main frame 111.

FIG. 40 is a schematic perspective view showing near the upper guiderail 131 in the scribing device guide body 130. To the upper guide rail131, upper portion substrate cutting device 160 is attached so as to bemovable along the upper guide rail 131. FIG. 41 is a schematicperspective view showing near the lower guide rail 132 in the scribingdevice guide body 130. To the lower guide rail 132, lower portionsubstrate cutting device 170 is attached so as to be movable along thelower guide rail 132.

The upper portion substrate cutting device 160 and the lower portionsubstrate cutting device 170 respectively move back and forth along theupper guide rail 131 and the lower guide rail 132 by linear motors. Tothe upper guide rail 131 and the lower guide rail 132, stators of thelinear motors are respectively attached, and to the upper portionsubstrate cutting device 160 and the lower portion substrate cuttingdevice 170, movers of the linear motors are respectively attached. Theupper portion substrate cutting device 160 and the lower portionsubstrate cutting device 170 cut glass substrates on upper and lowersides of the bonded mother substrate 90 held by the clamp device 150 ina horizontal manner and also supported by the substrate supportingdevice 120 for assisting holding the mother substrates.

In one end portion of the scribing device guide body 130, a firstoptical device 138 for taking an image of a first alignment mark of thebonded mother substrate 90 held by the clamp device 150 and supported bythe substrate supporting device 120 is provided so as to be movablealong the scribing device guide body 130. In the other end portion ofthe scribing device guide body 130, a second optical device 139 fortaking an image of a second alignment mark provided on the bonded mothersubstrate 90 is provided so as to be movable along the scribing deviceguide body 130.

Stators 112 of linear motors for moving the scribing device guide body130 are respectively provided on the upper surface of the mountingstructure 110 along the frames 111A and 111B in the longitudinaldirection of the main frame 111. The stators 112 are respectively formedto have a flat hollow parallelepiped shape with external side surfacesopened. Thus, cross-sections thereof have squared “C” shape. In thestators, movers (not shown) of the linear motors are inserted into guidebases 115 for holding pillars 128 for supporting both ends of thescribing device guide body 130 so as to be movable along the frames 111Aand 111B in the longitudinal direction of the main frame 111.

In the stators 112, a plurality of permanent magnets are respectivelylocated along the longitudinal directions with the magnetic poles of thepermanent magnets adjacent to each other are reversed. The movers arerespectively formed of electromagnets. By sequentially switchingmagnetic poles of the electromagnets forming the movers, the moversslide respectively along the stators 112.

As shown in FIGS. 38 and 39, both ends of the scribing device guide body130 having the end surfaces of the upper guide rail 131 and the lowerguide rail 132 coupled to each other by a connection plate 133 aresupported by the pillars 128. The pillars 128 are supported on uppersurfaces of the guide bases 115. The movers are respectively attached tothe guide bases 115. The movers are driven in synchronization and slidalong the stators 112.

Above the mounting structure 110 on the carry-out side, a carrying robot240 for carrying out display panels cut out of the bonded mothersubstrate 90, and the substrate carry-out device 180 provided forallowing the carrying robot 240 to move in X direction which isorthogonal to the frames 111A and 111B in the longitudinal direction ofthe main frame 111 are located on the substrate carry-out side withrespect to the scribing device guide body 130. End portions of substratecarry-out device guides 181 slide by linear motors via supportingmembers 182 along the guide rails 113 provided on the upper surface ofthe mounting structure 110. The linear motors in this example are formedby inserting movers (not shown) attached to the portions of thesubstrate carry-out device 180 into the stators 112 respectivelyprovided on the upper surface of the mounting structure 110.

The carrying robot 240 of the substrate carry-out device 180 includes anadsorption portion (not shown) for suction-adsorbing panel substratescut out of the bonded mother substrate 90. The entire substratecarry-out device 180 is slid to the substrate carry-out side with thepanel substrate adsorbed by the adsorption portion, and cut displaypanels are carried out from the mounting structure 110.

The portion (a) of FIG. 42 is a schematic view showing the structure ofthe carrying robot 240 in the substrate carry-out device 180. Thecarrying robot 240 is attached to the substrate carry-out device guides181 and is movable in a direction along the substrate carry-out deviceguides 181 (X direction) by a moving mechanism formed by combiningdriving means of the linear motors or servo motors and linear guides.

The carrying robot 240 includes two servo motors 240 a and 240 m. Theservo motor 240 a is coupled to a driving shaft 240 b. A first pulley240 c and a second pulley 240 e are integrally attached, and arerespectively attached to the driving shaft 240 b via bearings and cutfrom the rotation of the driving shaft 240 b. An end portion of an arm240 f is integrally attached to the driving shaft 240 b, and the arm 240f is rotated by the driving shaft 240 b having the driving shaft 240 bas the center. On a tip portion of the arm 240 f, a rotation shaft 240 gis rotatably supported. The rotation shaft 240 g penetrates through thearm 240 f, and a third pulley 240 h is integrally attached to one endportion thereof. A belt 240 i such as, for example, a timing belt inhung between the second pulley 240 e and the third pulley 240 h.

Furthermore, fourth pulley 240 n is attached to a rotation axis of theservo motor 240 m. A belt 240 p such as, for example, a timing belt ishung between the fourth pulley 240 n and the first pulley 240 c. Thus,rotation of the servo motor 240 m is transmitted to the first pulley 240c via the belt 240, further transmitted to the third pulley 240 h viathe belt 240 i, and the rotation shaft 240 g rotates.

To the other end portion of the rotation shaft 240 g, a center portionof an adsorption pad attachment plate 240 j is integrally attached. Onthe lower surface of the adsorption pad attachment plate 240 j,adsorption pads 240 k for adsorbing the substrates cut by the substratecutting system 100 by using a sucking mechanism which is not shown.

The carrying robot 240 having such a structure can carry substrates to adevice in next step with the directions of the substrates in ahorizontal manner but varying in angle directions with the minimummovement of the arm 240 f. This is achieved by setting rotationdirections and rotation angles of the servo motor 240 a and the servomotor 240 m.

When the cut substrates are carried, the out substrates are held byadsorption pads by sucking, and the entire carrying robot 240 istemporarily lifted by a moving mechanism (not shown). Then, thesubstrates are carried to a device in next step, and the entire carryingrobot 240 is moved down again by the moving mechanism (not shown) andplaced in a previously decided state in a predetermined position in thenext step.

Next, the example of changing the direction of the cut substrates byusing the carrying robot 240 having such a structure by, for example,90° will be described with reference to the portion (b) of FIG. 42.

When the adsorption pads 240 k attached to the adsorption pad attachmentplate 240 j are adsorbed to the cut substrates 93, the entire carryingrobot 240 is lifted by the moving mechanism. The servo motor 240 a isdriven, and the driving shaft 240 b is rotated by 90 degrees incounterclockwise direction as viewed from the substrate side. When thedriving shaft 240 b is rotated by 90 degrees, the arm 240 f is rotatedby 90 degrees in the counterclockwise direction as viewed from thesubstrate side having the driving shaft 240 b as a center. Thus, theadsorption pad attachment plate 240 j rotatably supported by the tipportion of the arm 240 f via the rotation shaft 240 g is rotated incounterclockwise direction as viewed from the substrate side having thedriving shaft 240 b as the center together with the arm 240 f. In thiscase, the rotation shaft 240 g attached to the adsorption pad attachmentplate 240 j is also rotated having the driving shaft 240 b as thecenter.

At this time, the rotation of the servo motor 240 m is transmitted tothe first pulley 240 c via the belt 240 p, and further transmitted tothe third pulley 240 h via the belt 240 i. Thus, the rotation shaft 240g is rotated by 180° in clockwise direction. The adsorption padattachment plate 240 j attached to the rotation shaft 240 g also rotatesby 180° in clockwise direction having the rotation shaft 240 g as thecenter. Thus, the adsorption pad attachment plate 240 j rotates by 180degrees in clockwise direction as viewed from the substrate side havingthe rotation shaft 240 g as the center while it is rotated by 90 degreesin counterclockwise direction as viewed from the substrate side havingthe driving shaft 240 b as the center. As a result, as shown in theportion (b) of FIG. 42, the cut substrate 93 adsorbed by the adsorptionpads 240 k are rotated by 90 degrees in clockwise direction when viewedfrom the substrate side with a relatively small space having therotation center position being moved.

As shown in FIG. 38, the first substrate supporting portion 120A and thesecond substrate supporting portion 120B of the substrate supportingdevice 120 respectively includes, for example, five first substratesupporting units 121A and second substrate supporting units 121B whichare movable in a direction same as the moving direction of the scribingdevice guide body 130. The first substrate supporting units 121A and thesecond substrate supporting units 121B are arranged linearly along thedirection parallel to the frames 111A and 111B in the longitudinaldirection of the main frame 111 (Y direction) respectively on thesubstrate carry-in side and the substrate carry-out side of the scribingdevice guide body 130.

FIG. 43 is a side view of one of the first substrate supporting units121A provided in the first substrate supporting portion 120A. The firstsubstrate supporting unit 121A has a pillar 145 provided on the surfaceof the guide base 115 held by a moving unit of the pair of guide rails113 provided on the upper surface of the mounting structure 110, and hasa supporting member 143 parallel to Y direction along the frames 111Aand 111B in the longitudinal direction of the main frame 111 above thepillar 145. Two unit attachment members 141 and 142 extending in Xdirection orthogonal to the frames 111A and 111B of the main frame 111on the supporting member 143 are attached to junction members 146 and147.

A plurality of first substrate supporting units 121A (five in thepresent embodiment) are arranged with a predetermined spacestherebetween, and move in Y direction along the frames 111A and 111B ofthe main frame 111 together with the scribing device guide body 130.

Each of the first substrate supporting units 121A has a support mainbody 121 a elongated linearly along a direction parallel to the mainframe 111 (Y direction), and timing pulleys 121 c and 121 d for guidinga timing belt 121 e are respectively attached to end portions of thesupport main body 121 a. The timing belt 121 e is rotated when clutchesdescribed below rotate a driving timing pulley 121 b in connection witha driving axis.

A mechanism for moving the timing belt 121 e of the first substratesupporting unit 121A having above-described structure will be describedwith reference to FIGS. 44, 45 and 46. FIG. 44 to a front view of theplurality of (five) first substrate supporting units 121A provided inthe first substrate supporting portion 120A as viewed from the wide ofthe scribing device guide body 130. FIG. 45 is a schematic view showinga structure of a clutch unit 210. FIG. 46 is a side view of the clutchunit 210.

As shown in FIG. 44, the driving timing pulleys 121 b included in thesupport main bodies 121 a of the first substrate supporting units 121Aare coupled to a rotation driving shaft 149 provided in parallel to Xdirection which is orthogonal to the frames 111A and 111B in thelongitudinal direction of the main frame 111. Both ends of the rotationdriving shaft 149 are connected to the clutch units 210. Whether therotation driving shaft 149 rotate or not rotate depends upon aconnection state of a clutch in the clutch unit 210 with a driving axis.More specifically, when the clutch in the clutch unit is coupled with adriving axle 222, the rotation driving shaft 149 rotates. When theclutch is decoupled from the driving axle 222, the rotation drivingshaft 149 is not rotated.

On the bottom surface of the frames 111A and 111B in the longitudinaldirection of the main frame 111, a rack 111 a for rotating a pinion 211of the clutch unit 110 is attached along the longitudinal direction ofthe frames 111A and 111B.

The pinion 211 of the clutch unit 210 is coupled to one end of an axis223. To the other end of the axis 223, a timing pulley 212 for a timingbelt 219 is coupled.

To one end of the driving axis 222, a timing pulley 215 is coupled. Thetiming belt 219 is hung between the timing pulley 212 and the timingpulley 215 via the two idlers 213 and 214, and rotation of the axis 223is transmitted to the driving axis 222.

To the other end of the driving axis 222, clutch 216 such as an airclutch is attached. When compressed air is put into the clutch 216, thedriving axis 222 and a driven axis 224 are coupled. When puttingcompressed air into the clutch 216 is stopped and the air pressureinside the clutch 216 becomes atmospheric pressure, the coupling betweenthe driving axis 222 and the driven axis 224 is blocked.

To the end portion of the driven axis 224 which is not jointed to theclutch 216, a timing pulley 217 is coupled. A timing belt 221 is hungbetween the timing pulley 217 and a timing pulley 218 on one end of therotation driving shaft 149 to which the driving timing pulley 121 bincluded in the support main body 121 a of the first substratesupporting units 121A is coupled.

As shown in FIG. 44, a mechanism for moving the timing belts 121 e byrotating the driving timing pulleys 121 b of the five first substratesupporting units 121A provided in the first substrate supporting portion120A (clutch unit 210) is also provided on the frame 111B side in thelongitudinal direction of the main frame 111.

As described above, the pillar 145 on the frame 111A side which supportsfive first substrate supporting units 121A and the pillar 145 on theframe 111B side are held by the guide bases 115, and are coupled suchthat they move integrally with the guide bases 115 for holding thepillars 128 for supporting both ends of the scribing device guide body130. To the guide bases 115 which support the pillars 128, movers (notshown) of the linear motors are attached. Thus, by driving the linearmotors, the scribing device guide body 130 is moved toward the substratecarry-in side, and five first substrate supporting units 121A of thefirst substrate supporting portion 120A are moved toward the substratecarry-in side.

When the scribing device guide body 130 is moved, the pinion 211 of theclutch unit 210 on the frame 111A side and the pinion 211 of the clutchunit 210 on the frame 111B side, which are engaged with the racks 111 aattached along the frames 111A and 111B, are rotated.

For rotating the driving timing pulleys 121 b of the first substratesupporting unite 121A and moving the timing belts 121 e, clutches onboth sides of the frames 111A and 111B may be coupled to the respectivedriving axes 222, or the clutch on one of the frames 111A and 111B maybe coupled to the driving axes 222.

The second substrate supporting portion 120B of the substrate supportingdevice 120 includes, for example, five second substrate supporting units121B which are movable in the same direction an the moving direction ofthe scribing device guide body 342. The second substrate supportingunits 121B have similar structures as those of the first substratesupporting units 121A, and supported by the pillar 145 on the frame 111Aside and the pillar 145 on the frame 111B side so as to be attached inan inverted direction with respect to Y direction to provide anarrangement symmetrical with respect to the scribing device guide body130. The respective pillars are supported by the guide bases 115.

The pillar 145 on the frame 111A side and the pillar 145 on the frame111B side which support five first substrate supporting units 121A areheld by the guide bases 115. The pillar 145 on the frame 111A side andthe pillar 145 on the frame 111B side which supports five secondsubstrate supporting units 121B are held by the guide bases 115.Further, they are coupled such that they integrally move with the guidebases 115 for supporting pillars which support both ends of the scribingdevice guide body 130. Since the movers (not shown) of the linear motorsare attached to the guide bases 115 for holding the pillars 128 whichsupport both ends of the scribing device guide body 130, the scribingdevice guide body 130 is moved toward the substrate carry-in side bydriving the linear motor, and the five first substrate supporting units121A of the first substrate supporting portion 120A and the five secondsubstrate supporting units 121B of the second substrate supportingportion 120B also move toward the substrate carry-in side.

On the frame 111A side and the frame 111B side of the second substratesupporting portion 120B, clutch units 210 similar to those in the firstsubstrate supporting portion 120A are provided. When the scribing deviceguide body 130 is moved, the pinion 211 of the clutch unit 210 on theframe 111A side and the pinion 211 of the clutch unit 210 on the frame111B side, which are engaged with the racks 111 attached along theframes 111A and 111B, are rotated.

For rotating the driving timing pulleys 121 b of the second substratesupporting units 121B and moving the timing belts 121 e, clutches onboth sides of the frames 111A and 111B may be coupled to the respectivedriving axes 222, or the clutch on one of the frames 111A and 111B maybe coupled to the driving axes 222.

As shown in FIG. 38, above the mounting structure 110 on the substratecarry-out side, a steam unit portion 260 for completely cutting thebonded mother substrate 90 which is not completely cut after thescribing process is located on the substrate carry-out side with respectto the second substrate supporting portion 120B and the substratecarry-in side with respect to the substrate carry-out device 180.

The steam unit portion 260 includes an upper steam unit attachment bar262 for attaching a plurality of steam units 261 for spraying steam tothe upper mother substrate of the bonded mother substrate 90 and a lowersteam unit attachment bar 263 for attaching a plurality of steam units261 for spraying steam on the lower mother substrate of the bondedmother substrate 90 attached to a pillar 264 on the frame 111A side anda pillar 264 on the frame 111B side along X direction which isorthogonal to the frames 111A and 111B.

Along the guide rails 113 provided on the upper surface of the mountingstructure 110, the pillars 264 on the frame 111A and 111B sides slide bythe linear motors. In this case, the linear motors are formed byinserting movers (not shown) of the linear motors respectively attachedto the steam unit portion 260 into the linear motor stators 112respectively provided on the upper surface of the mounting structure110.

FIG. 47 is a front view of important parts of a steam unit portion 260as viewed from the substrate carry-in side. Six steam units 261 areattached to the upper steam unit attachment bar 262 and six steam units261 are attached to the lower steam unit attachment bar 263 with a gapGA spaced apart from the upper six steam units 261. The gap GA isadjusted so as to allow the bonded mother substrate 90 to pass throughthe gap GA when the steam unit portion 260 moves toward the substratecarry-in side.

FIG. 48 is a partial cross-sectional side view showing the structures ofthe steam units 261. Each of the steam units 261 is mostly made of analuminum material, and a plurality of heaters 261 a are embedded in avertical direction. When an opening/closing valve (not shown) which canbe opened or closed automatically is opened, water flows into the steamunit 261 from a water supply port 261 b and heated by the heaters 261 a.The supplied water is vaporized and becomes steam. The steam is blown tothe surface of the mother substrate through a conducting hole 261 c andfrom a spray nozzle 261 d.

Further, on the carry-out side of the upper steam unit attachment bar262, an air knife 265 for removing water which remains on the surface ofthe bonded mother substrate 90 after the steam is blown to the uppersurface of the bonded mother substrate 90 is attached.

The lower steam unit attachment bar 263 also includes the steam units261 and the air knife 165 similar to those attached to the upper steamunit attachment bar 262.

When the bonded mother substrate 90 is placed on the first substratesupporting portion 120A, and the bonded mother substrate 90 ispositioned, the positioned bonded mother substrate 90 is held by theclamp device 150 and also supported by the timing belts 221 e of thefirst substrate supporting units 121A.

In this state, cutting of the bonded mother substrate 90 is started bythe upper portion substrate cutting device 160 and the lower portionsubstrate cutting device 170 provided on the scribing device guide body130 after the clutches of four clutch units 210 of the first substratesupporting portion 120A and the second substrate supporting portion 120Bare coupled to the driving axes 222. As the scribing device guide body130 moves toward the substrate carry-in side, the first substratesupporting portion 120A slides toward the substrate carry-in side.Further, second substrate supporting portion 120B slides toward thesubstrate carry-in side. While the scribing device guide body 130 ismoving toward the substrate carry-in side, the timing belts 121 e of thefirst substrate supporting units 121A of the first substrate supportingportion 120A and the timing belts 121 e of the second substratesupporting units 121B of the second substrate supporting portion 120Brotate at the same rate as the moving speed of the scribing device guidebody 130 and moves the bonded mother substrate 90 in the substratecarry-out direction. The bonded mother substrate 90 being cut issupported by the timing belts 121 e of the first substrate supportingunits 121A of the first substrate supporting portion 120A and the timingbelts 121 e of the second substrate supporting units 121B of the secondsubstrate supporting portion 120B.

However, while the scribing device guide body 130 is being moved, thetiming belts 121 a of the first substrate supporting units 121A of thefirst substrate supporting portion 120A and the timing belts 121 e ofthe second substrate supporting units 121B of the second substratesupporting portion 120B try to move the bonded mother substrate 90 in adirection opposite to the moving direction of the scribing device guidebody 130 at a rate same as the moving speed of the scribing device guidebody 130. Thus, the bonded mother substrate 90 does not actually move,and the bonded mother substrate 90 is supported while being hold by theclamp device 150 without the timing belts 121 e of the first substratesupporting units 121A of the first substrate supporting portion 120A andthe timing belts 121 e of the second substrate supporting units 121B ofthe second substrate supporting portion 120B being in sliding contactwith the bonded mother substrate 90.

When cutting of the bonded mother substrate 90 is finished, the bondedmother substrate 90 is supported by the timing belts 121 e of all thesecond substrate supporting units 121B of the second substratesupporting portion 120B.

With the bonded mother substrate 90 being supported by the timing belts121 e of the second substrate supporting units 121B, the steam unitportion 260 moves toward the substrate carry-in side, and sprays steamon the entire front and back surfaces of the bonded mother substrate 90having the scribe lines carved. Thus, the vertical cracks are extendedby thermal stress, and the bonded mother substrate 90 is completely cut.At the same time, water remaining on the front and back surfaces of thebonded mother substrate 90 after spraying steam is removed by the airknives 265.

Thereafter, all the display panels cut from the bonded mother substrate90 on the timing belts 121 e of all the second substrate supportingunits 121B of the second substrate supporting portion 120B are carriedout by the carrying robot 240 of the substrate carry-out device 180, andthus, a out bonded mother substrate 90′ (mill end) is supported.

Then, the substrate carry-out device 180 and the steam unit portion 260moves toward the end portion on the substrate carry-out side.

Thereafter, the scribing device guide body 130, the second substratesupporting portion 120B, and the first substrate supporting portion 120Aare slid toward the substrate carry-out side. At this time, timing belts121 e of the first substrate supporting units 121A of the firstsubstrate supporting portion 120A and the timing belts 121 e of thesecond substrate supporting units 121B of the second substratesupporting portion 120B rotates as if they move the bonded mothersubstrate 90 in the substrate carry-in direction at the same rate as themoving speed of the scribing device guide body 130.

Thus, the timing belts 121 e of the first substrate supporting units121A and the timing belts 121 e of the second substrate supporting units121B are sequentially brought into a non-contact state without being insliding contact from the lower surf ace of the cut bonded mothersubstrate 90′. The supports of the cut bonded mother substrate 90′ bythe timing belts 121 e are sequentially released. Then, support of thecut bonded mother substrate 90′ (mill end) by the clamp device 150 isreleased and the cut bonded mother substrate 90′ (mill end) dropsdownward. In this case, the cut bonded mother substrate 90′ droppeddownward (mill end and cullet) is guided by a guiding plate arranged ina slanted state and is accommodated within a cullet accommodation box.

The mounting structure 110 includes a positioning device (not shown) forpositioning the bonded mother substrate 90 supported by the firstsubstrate supporting portion 120A. The positioning device includes, forexample, a plurality of positioning pins (not shown) the frame 111B ofthe main frame 111 and along a direction orthogonal to the frame 111Bwith predetermined spaces therebetween. For the positioning pinsarranged along the frame 111B, pushers (not shown) for pushing a sideedge of the bonded mother substrate 90 which opposes the positioningpins. For the positioning pine arranged in a direction orthogonal to theframe 111B, pushers (not shown) for pushing an opposing side edge of thebonded mother substrate 90 are provided.

Further, for example, when the positioning device for performingpositioning of the bonded mother substrate 90 immediately beforetransportation to the substrate cutting system of the present inventionis provided separately from the substrate cutting system, a positioningdevice within the substrate cutting system may be omitted.

Further, the positioning device within the substrate cutting system isnot limited to the positioning pins and pushers as described above. Itmay be any kind of devices as long as it can provide a constant positionof the bonded mother substrate 90 in the substrate cutting system.

Furthermore, above the mounting structure 110, the clamp device 150 forclamping the bonded mother substrate 90, which is supported by the firstsubstrate supporting portion 120A and pushed against the positioningpins so as to be positioned, is provided. For example, as shown in FIG.39 the clamp device 150 includes a plurality of clamp members 151attached to the frame 111B of the main frame 111 with predeterminedspaces therebetween in a longitudinal direction so as to clamp a sideedge of the positioned bonded mother substrate 90 along the frame 111B,and a plurality of clamp members 151 arranged along the directionorthogonal to the main frame 111 with a predetermined spacestherebetween for clamping a side edge of the positioned bonded mothersubstrate 90 on the substrate carry-in side.

FIGS. 49 and 50 are perspective views for showing a plurality of clampmembers 151 provided on the frame 111B of the main frames 11, and forillustrating an operation thereof. The clamp members 151 have similarstructures to each other. Each of the clamp members 151 includes acasing 151 a attached to the frame 111B of the main frame 111 and a pairof upper and lower rotation arms 151 b attached to the casing 151 a soas to be rotatable from a vertical position to a horizontal position.Each of the rotation arms 151 b can rotate having one end portion as acenter. The end portions to be the center of rotation are located closeto each other. As shown in FIG. 49, a tip portion of the upper rotationarm 151 b locates above the rotation center in the vertical position. Atip portion of the lower rotation arm 151 b locates below the rotationcenter in the vertical position. The rotation arms 151 b respectivelyrotate by 90 degrees toward the bonded mother substrate 90, and thus,the rotation arms 51 b are in horizontal positions opposing each other.

To the tip portions of the rotation arms 151 b, clamp portions 151 cwhich respectively abut the upper surface and the lower surface of thebonded mother substrate 90 are attached. The clamp portion 151 c areformed of elastic body. The rotation arms 151 b are integrally rotatedfrom the vertical position to the horizontal position and from thehorizontal position to the vertical position. When the rotation arms 151b are rotated to the horizontal position, as shown in FIG. 50, the clampportions 151 c attached to the tip portions of the rotation arms 151 bclamp the bonded mother substrate 90.

The clamp members 151 arranged along a direction orthogonal to the frame111B of the main frame 111 have similar structures. These clamp members151 are also driven integrally. After the side edges orthogonal to eachother of the bonded mother substrate 90 are clamped by the plurality ofclamp members 151, all the clamp members 151 sink below, and the bondedmother substrate 90 is supported by the timing belts 121 e of the firstsubstrate supporting portion 120A.

Further, in the above-described the arrangement of the clamp device 150,the clamp device 150 for holding the bonded mother substrate 90 isprovided on the substrate carry-in side in a direction orthogonal to theframe 111A and the frame 111B of the main frame 111. However, even whenthe clamp device 150 is provided only on the frame 111B, the bondedmother substrate 90 can be held without causing damage in thesubstrates.

The structures of the clamp device 150 and the clamp members 151 asdescribed above are merely examples used in the substrate cutting systemof the present invention, and the structures are not limited to suchstructures. The clamp device 150 and the clamp members 151 may have anykind of structures as long as they can grip or hold the side edges ofthe bonded mother substrate 90. When the substrate size is small, thesubstrate can be held by clamping one position of the side edge of thesubstrate, and the substrate can be cut without causing a defect in thesubstrate.

As shown in FIG. 40, the upper portion substrate cutting device 160 isattached to the upper guide rail 131 in the scribing device guide body130. As shown in FIG. 41, the lower portion substrate cutting device 170having the similar structure as the upper portion substrate cuttingdevice 160 but inverted upside down is attached to the lower guide rail132. An described above, the upper portion substrate cutting device 160and the lower portion substrate cutting device 170 respectively slidealong the upper guide rail 131 and the lower guide rail 132 by thelinear motors.

For example, in the upper portion substrate cutting device 160 and thelower portion substrate cutting device 170, a cutter wheel 162 a forscribing the upper glass substrate of the bonded mother substrate 90 isrotatably attached to a tip holder 162 b, and the tip holder 162 b isrotatably attached to a cutter head 162 c having an axis in a directionvertical to the surface of the bonded mother substrate 90 held by theclamp device 150. The cutter head 162 c is movable along a directionvertical to the surface of the bonded mother substrate by driving meanswhich is not shown. The cutter wheel 162 a is appropriately loaded byenergizing means which is not shown.

The cutter wheel 162 a held by the tip holder 162 b may have a bladeedge protruded so as to have a center portion in a width direction of ashape of letter V with an obtuse angle and may have protrusions of apredetermined height formed on the blade edge with predetermined pitchesin a circumferential direction as disclosed in Japanese Laid-OpenPublication No. 9-188534.

The lower portion substrate cutting device 170 provided on the lowerguide rail 132 has a similar structure as the upper portion substratecutting device 160 but inversed upside down. A cutter wheel 162 a of thelower portion substrate cutting device 170 (see FIG. 41) is arranged soas to oppose the cutter wheel 162 a of the upper portion substratecutting device 160.

The cutter wheel 162 a of the upper portion substrate cutting device 160are pressed onto a surface of the bonded mother substrate 90 and rotatedby the above-described energizing means and moving means of the cutterhead 162 c. The cutter wheel 162 a of the lower portion substratecutting device 170 is pressed onto a back surface of the bonded mothersubstrate 90 by the above-described energizing means and moving means ofthe cutter head 162 c. By moving the upper portion substrate cuttingdevice 160 and the lower portion substrate cutting device 170 in thesame direction at the same time, the bonded mother substrate 90 is cut.

It is preferable that the cutter wheel 162 a to rotatably supported by acutter head 165 using a servo motor disclosed in WO 03/011777.

FIG. 51 shows a side view of an exemplary cutter head 165 using a servomotor. FIG. 52 is a front view of the main part of the cutter head 165.A servo motor 165 b is held between a pair of side walls 165 a in aninverted state. In the lower part of the side walls 165 a, a holdermaintaining assembly 165 c having a shape of letter L when viewed fromside is rotatably provided via a spindle 165 d. On the front portion ofthe holder maintaining assembly 165 c (the right hand part in FIG. 52),the tip holder 162 b for rotatably supporting the cutter wheel 162 a viaan axis 165 e. Flat bevel gears 165 f are respectively attached to therotation axis of the servo motor 165 b and the spindle 165 d so as toengage each other. With such a structure, by rotating the servo motor165 b in normal or inverted direction, the holder maintaining assembly165 c performs an elevating operation having the spindle 165 d as afulcrum and the cutter wheel 162 a moves up and down. The cutter head165 itself is included in the upper portion substrate cutting device 160and/or lower portion substrate cutting device 170.

FIG. 53 is a front view showing another example of a cutter head using aservo motor. In this example, the rotation axis of the servo motor 165 bis directly connected to the holder maintaining assembly 165 c.

The cutter heads of FIGS. 51 and 53 moves the cutter wheel 162 a forpositioning by rotating the servo motor by position control. Such acutter head controls a rotation torque which acts to bring back theposition of the cutter wheel 162 a to the position which has beenpreviously set to the servo motor 165 b when the position is moved fromthe set position, and transmits a scribing pressure to a brittlematerial substrate during scribing operation in which the cutter head ismoved in the horizontal direction to form scribe lines on the bondedmother substrate 90. In other words, the servo motor 165 b controls theposition of the cutter wheel 162 a in a vertical direction and alsoserves as energizing means for the cutter wheel 162 a.

By using the cutter head including the servo motor as described above,the rotation torque of the servo motor can be corrected while the bondedmother substrate 90 is being scribed instantly in accordance with thechange in a scribing pressure due to a variance in resistance applied tothe cutter wheel 162 a. Thus, stable scribing is performed and scribelines with high quality can be formed.

A cutter head including a mechanism to periodically change the pressureto the bonded mother substrate 90 by a scribing cutter by vibrating thescribing cutter such as a diamond point cutter and/or cutter wheel forscribing the bonded mother substrate 90 may also effectively applied tothe cutting of the mother substrate by the substrate cutting system ofthe present invention.

The structures of the upper portion substrate cutting device 160 and thelower portion substrate cutting device 170 are not limited to theabove-described structures. The devices may have any kind of structuresas long as they process the front and back surfaces of the substrate tocut the substrate.

For example, the upper portion substrate cutting device 160 and thelower portion substrate cutting device 170 may be a device for cuttingthe mother substrate by using laser light, a dicing saw, a cuttingblade, a diamond cutter, or the like. When the mother substrate is ametal substrate such as steel sheet, wood plate, a plastic substrate,and a brittle material substrate such as ceramics substrate, glasssubstrate, semiconductor substrate or the like, a scribing device forcutting the mother substrate by using, for example, laser light, adicing saw, a cutting blade, a diamond cutter, or the like may be used.

Furthermore, the upper portion substrate cutting device 160 and thelower portion substrate cutting device 170 may further include cuttingassistance means for assisting in the cutting of the substrate. Thecutting assistance means may be, for example, means for pressing aroller or the like to the substrate, or means for warming (heating) thesubstrate by spraying compressed air to the substrate, irradiating thesubstrate with laser, or blowing hot air to the substrate.

In the above example, the upper portion substrate cutting device 160 andthe lower portion substrate cutting device 170 have the same structure.However, they may have different structures depending upon the cuttingpattern of the substrate and cutting conditions for the substrate.

The substrate cutting system having such a structure will be explainedwith reference mainly to an example in which a bonded substrate formedby bonding large-scale glass plates is cut.

For cutting the bonded mother substrate 90 formed by bonding large-scaleglass substrates to each other into a plurality of panel substrates 90 a(see FIG. 55), first, as shown in FIG. 54, the bonded mother substrate90 is carried into the substrate cutting system by the carrying robot orthe like from the end portion on the substrate carry-in side, and isplaced on the timing belts 121 e of all the second substrate supportingunits 121A of the first substrate supporting portion 120A in ahorizontal fashion.

In such a state, the bonded mother substrate 90 is pressed with apressure which is not shown so as to abut positioning pins (not shown)arranged along the frame 111B of the main frame 111. The bonded mothersubstrate 90 is also pressed with a pressure which is not shown so as toabut positioning pins (not shown) arranged along a direction orthogonalto the frame 111B. In this way, the bonded mother substrate 90 ispositioned at a predetermined position in the housing 110 in thesubstrate cutting system.

Then, as shown in FIG. 54, the bonded mother substrate 90 has its sideedge along the frame 111B of the main frames 111 clamped by the clampmembers 151 of the clamp device 150. The side edge of the bonded mothersubstrate 90 on the substrate carry-in side is clamped by the clampmembers 151 arranged on the substrate carry-in side so as to beorthogonal to the frame 111B.

When the side edges of the bonded mother substrate 90 which areorthogonal to each other are respectively clamped by the clamp device150, the clamp members 151 clamping the side edges of the bonded mothersubstrate 90 sink approximately at the same time due to the weight ofthe bonded mother substrate 90 itself. Thus, the bonded mother substrate90 is supported supplementarily by the timing belts 121 e of all thefirst substrate supporting units 121A.

In such a state, the scribing device guide body 130 slide toward thesubstrate carry-in side so as to be at a predetermined position on aside edge near the bonded mother substrate 90 clamped by the clampdevice 50 in a horizontal fashion after the clutches 216 of the fourclutch units 210 of the first substrate supporting portion 120A and thesecond substrate supporting portion 120B are coupled to the drivingaxes. The first optical device 138 and the second optical device 139provided on the scribing device guide body 130 move along the guide body130 from waiting positions. Thus, the images of the first alignment markand the second alignment mark provided on the bonded mother substrate 90are taken.

Since the scribing device guide body 130 slides, the first substratesupporting portion 120A elides toward the substrate carry-in side, andsecond substrate supporting portion 120B slides toward the substratecarry-in side. The timing belts 121 e of the first substrate supportingunits 121A of the first substrate supporting portion 120A and the timingbelts 121 e of the second substrate supporting units 121B of the secondsubstrate supporting portion 120B moves the bonded mother substrate 90in a direction opposite to the moving direction of the scribing deviceguide body 130 at the rate same as the moving speed of the scribingdevice guide body 130. Thus, the bonded mother substrate 90 is supportedwhile being hold by the clump device 150 without the timing belts 121 eof the first substrate supporting units 121A of the first substratesupporting portion 120A and the timing belts 121 e of the secondsubstrate supporting units 121B of the second substrate supportingportion 120B being in sliding contact with the bonded mother substrate90.

Next, based on the results of taking the images of the first alignmentmark and the second alignment mark, angle of the bonded mother substrate90 supported by the clamp device 150 in a horizontal fashion in adirection along the scribing device guide body 130, cutting startposition and cutting end position by a calculation using an operationprocess device which is not shown. Based on the calculated results, thescribing device guide body 130 is moved with the upper portion substratecutting device 160 and the lower portion substrate cutting device 170 tocut the bonded mother substrate 90 (Such an operation may be referred toas scribing or cutting by linear interpolation).

In this example, as shown in FIG. 55, the cutter wheels 162 arespectively opposing the front surface and the back surface of thebonded mother substrate 90 are pressed onto the front back surfaces androtated. Thus, scribe lines are formed on the front surface and the backsurface of the bonded mother substrate 90.

From the bonded mother substrate 90, for example, two panel substrates90 a in a column direction along the upper guide rail 132 and the lowerguide rail 132 are cut out for two columns. For cutting four paneldisplays 90 a out of the bonded mother substrate 90, the cutter wheel162 a of the upper portion substrate cutting device 160 and the cutterwheel 162 a of the lower portion substrate cutting device 170 arerespectively pressed and rotated along the side edges of the panelsubstrates.

In this example, the cutter wheel 162 a of the upper portion substratecutting device 160 and the cutter wheels 162 a of the lower portionsubstrate cutting device 170 generate vertical cracks in the portions ofthe glass substrates where the cutter wheels 162 a rotated, and a scribeline 95 is formed. Since protrusions are formed in a predetermined pitchin peripheral edges of the blade edges of the cutter wheels 162 a,vertical cracks having the length of about 90% of the thickness of theglass substrate in the thickness direction are formed in the glasssubstrates.

Further, a scribing method using a cutter head including a mechanism forperiodically changing (vibrating) a pressure to the bonded mothersubstrate 90 by a scribe cutter such as a diamond point cutter, cutterwheel or the like for scribing the bonded mother substrate 90 may beeffectively applied to the cutting of the bonded mother substrate 90 bythe substrate cutting system of the present invention.

As the method for scribing the front and back surfaces of the bondedmother substrate 90, a conventional method as shown in FIG. 56, in whichscribe lines are formed in turn along lines to be scribed S1 to S4 alonga vertical direction, which is a narrow side direction of the bondedmother substrate 90, and then scribe lines are formed in turn alonglines to be scribed S5 to S8 along the horizontal direction, which iswide side direction, may be used in general.

Beside the above-described scribing method, a scribing method as shownin FIG. 57 may be preferably used for the substrate cutting system ofthe present invention. In FIG. 57, four panel substrates 90 a are formedfrom one bonded mother substrate 90.

The bonded mother substrate 90 has a rectangular shape. Four panelsubstrates 90 a are obtained by forming two panel substrates 90 a alongthe longitudinal direction of the bonded mother substrate 90 and formingtwo panel substrates 90 a along the width direction which is orthogonalto the longitudinal direction. Each of the panel substrates 90 a isformed with an appropriate space apart from the adjacent panel substrate90 a and from side edges along the longitudinal direction and side edgesof the width direction of the bonded mother substrate 90.

By having the cutter wheel 162 a of the upper portion substrate cuttingdevice 160 and the cutter wheel 162 a of the lower portion substratecutting device 170 oppose each other, and are pressed and rotated at thesame time, scribe lines across the entire circumference are formed onthe front and back surface of the bonded mother substrate 90 for each ofthe panel substrates 90 a one by one in turn.

In this example, first, scribe line is formed along one linear line tobe scribed S1 along the side edges parallel to the longitudinaldirection of the bonded mother substrate 90 for the panel substrate 90 ato be scribed. More specifically, the cutter wheels 162 a of the cutterheads 62 c are pressed and rotated on the bonded mother substrate 90along the line to be scribed S1.

In FIG. 58, it is shown that the scribe start point by the cutter wheels162 a is a position on the bonded mother substrate 90 (a position forinternal cut). However, it may be a position near the outside of the endsurface of the bonded mother substrate 90 along the line to be scribedS1 (a position for external cut).

When the scribe line is formed along the line to be scribed S1 by avertical crack which extends across the entirety of the thicknessdirection, the scribing device guide body 30 is moved to Y direction andthe upper portion substrate cutting device 160 and the lower portionsubstrate cutting device 170 are moved in X direction at the same timesuch that the cutter wheels 162 a revolves around the vertical axis by270 degrees to form a circular trace having a radius of about 1 nm (acorner portion A in FIG. 58).

When the cutter wheels 162 g are revolving, the pressure of the cutterwheels 162 a to the bonded mother substrate 90 is reduced so that thereis no deep vertical crack formed on the bonded mother substrate 90. Whenthe thickness of the bonded substrate 90 is 0.7 mm, the depth of thevertical crack formed in the bonded mother substrate 90 when the cutterwheels 162 a is revolving is about 100 to 200 μm.

When the cross-scribing is performed by the cutter wheels 162 a as shownin FIG. 56, a chip tends to be generated in the bonded mother substrate90 at cross points of the scribe lines formed when scribing to performedin first direction and scribing is performed in second direction.

Since a vertical cracks which almost extends to the thickness of thebonded mother substrate 90 has been already formed when scribing isperformed in the first direction, the mother glass substrate 90 sinks infront of the first scribe line when the cutter wheels 162 a reach nearthe scribe line in the first direction while scribing in the seconddirection and such a chip may be generated when the cutter wheels 162 arun on the glass substrates along the scribe line in the first directionat a crossing portion of the scribe line in the first direction and ascribe line in the second direction.

In the scribing method as shown in FIG. 57, the cutter wheels 162 arevolve and arose the scribe line which has been already formed alongthe line to be scribed S1 with the pressure to the bonded mothersubstrate 90 being reduced. Thus, a part of the bonded mother substrate90 does not sink before the scribing lines cross each other, and thus,it is possible to prevent a chip from occurring in the bonded mothersubstrate 90 when the scribing lines cross each other.

When travel direction of the cutter wheels 162 a revolve by 270 degreesand the cutter wheels 162 a are along the linear line to be scribed S2along the width direction of the panel substrates 90 a which areorthogonal to the line to be scribed S1, the cutter wheels 162 a arepressed and rotated along the line to be scribed S2. Thus, the scribeline is formed by a vertical crack which extends across the entirety ofthe thickness direction along the line to be scribed S2.

Then, again, the cutter wheels 162 a revolve by 270 degrees to adirection orthogonal to the line to be scribed S2 while forming acircular trace having a radius of about 1 mm in corner portion B withoutseparating the cutter wheels 162 a from the front and back surfaces ofthe bonded mother substrate 90. Thus, the cutter wheels 62 a are alongthe line to be scribed S3 and form the scribe line by a vertical crackwhich extends across the entirety of the thickness direction along theline to be scribed S3. Furthermore, again, the cutter wheels 162 arevolve by 270 degrees to a direction orthogonal to the line to bescribed S3 while forming a circular trace having a radius of about 1 mmin corner portion C without separating the cutter wheels 162 a from thefront and back surfaces of the bonded mother substrate 90. Thus, thecutter wheels 162 a are along the line to be scribed S4 and form thescribe line by a vertical crack which extends across the entirety of thethickness direction along the line to be scribed S4.

In this way, a closed curve including four linear scribe lines is formedaround a panel substrate 90 a. Then, for example, for forming the panelsubstrate 90 a adjacent in the longitudinal direction of the bondedmother substrate 90, a closed curve including four linear scribe linesis formed across the entire circumference of the panel substrate 90 asimilarly. Then, closed curves including four linear scribe lines areformed across the entire circumferences for each of the remaining pairof the panel substrates 90 a in turn.

Besides the above-described scribing method, a scribing method as shownin FIG. 58 can be preferably used in the substrate cutting system of thepresent invention. In FIG. 58, four panel substrates 90 a are formedfrom one bonded mother substrate 90.

In the scribing method shown in FIG. 58, scribe lines along lines to bescribed S1 and S2 which are orthogonal to each other on the panelsubstrates 90 a are formed in the method as described above. For formingthe scribe line along the line to be scribed S1, the cutter wheels 362 ais positioned outside the end surface of the bonded mother substrate 90and the scribe line along the line to be scribed S1 is continuouslyformed therefrom.

A chip which may be generated when the cutter wheels 162 a run on thefront and back surfaces of the bonded mother substrate 90 at the startof scribing does not affect the panel substrates 90 a to becomeproducts.

Then, the cutter wheels 162 a revolve by 270 degrees to a directionorthogonal to the line to be scribed S1 while forming a circular tracein the corner portion A. Thus, the cutter wheels 162 a are along theline to be scribed S2 and form the scribe line by a vertical crack whichextends across most of the entirety of the thickness direction along theline to be scribed S2.

Then, the cutter wheels 162 a are temporarily separated from the surfaceof the bonded mother substrate 90, and the scribe lines along the linesto be scribed S3 and S4 in a direction orthogonal to the line to bescribed S1 are formed in this order. In this case, a chip which may begenerated when the cutter wheels 162 a run on the front and backsurfaces of the bonded mother substrate 90 at the start of scribing doesnot affect the panel substrates 90 a to become products.

In this way, four linear scribe lines are forted around the panelsubstrate 90 a. Then, for example, for forming the panel substrate 90 aadjacent in the longitudinal direction of the bonded mother substrate90, four linear scribe lines are formed across the entire circumferenceof the panel substrate 90 a similarly. Then, closed curves includingfour linear scribe lines are formed across the entire circumferences foreach of the remaining pair of the panel substrates 90 a in turn.

After the scribe lines are formed on the bonded mother substrate by theabove-described scribing method, as shown in FIG. 59, with the bondedmother substrate 90 on which the scribe line 95 is formed beingsupported by the timing belts 121 e of the second substrate supportingunits 121B, the steam unit portion 260 moves toward the substratecarry-in side and blows the steam entirely on the front and backsurfaces of the bonded mother substrate 90 on which the scribe lines arecarved to completely cut the bonded mother substrate 90. At the sametime, the water remaining on the front and back surfaces of the bondedmother substrate 90 after the steam is blown thereto is removed by theair knife 71.

By blowing the steam onto the entire front and back surface of thebonded mother substrate 90 having the scribe lines carved thereon, thescribe lines formed by the cutter wheels 162 a experience volumeexpansion since the front and back surface portions of the bonded mothersubstrate 90 are heated. In this way, vertical cracks extend from thesurface of the upper and lower mother substrates of the bonded mothersubstrate 90 toward the bonded surface, and the bonded mother substrate90 is completely cut.

Thereafter, as shown in FIG. 59, all the panel substrates 90 a cut fromthe bonded mother substrate 90 on the timing belts 121 e of all thesecond substrate supporting units 121B of the second substratesupporting portion 120B are carried out by the carrying robot 240 of thesubstrate carry-out device 180, and thus, a cut bonded mother substrate90′ (mill end) is supported.

Then, the substrate carry-out device 180 and the steam unit portion 260moves toward the end portion on the substrate carry-out side.

Thereafter, as shown in FIG. 60, the scribing device guide body 130, thesecond substrate supporting portion 120B, and the first substratesupporting portion 120A are slid toward the substrate carry-out side. Atthis time, timing belts 121 e of the first substrate supporting units121A of the first substrate supporting portion 120A and the timing belts121 e of the second substrate supporting units 121B of the secondsubstrate supporting portion 120B rotates as if they move the bondedmother substrate 90 in the substrate carry-in direction at the same rateas the moving speed of the scribing device guide body 130.

Thus, the timing belts 121 e of the first substrate supporting units121A and the timing belts 121 e of the second substrate supporting units121B are sequentially brought into a non-contact state without being insliding contact from the lower surface of the cut bonded mothersubstrate 90′. The supports of the cut bonded mother substrate 90′ bythe timing belts 221 e are sequentially released. Then, support of thecut bonded mother substrate 90′ (mill end) by the clamp device 150 isreleased and the cut bonded mother substrate 90′ (mill end) dropsdownward. In this case, the cut bonded mother substrate 90′ droppeddownward (mill end and cullet) is guided by a guiding plate arranged ina slanted state and is accommodated within a cullet accommodation box.

By employing the scribing method which will be described below as thescribing method by the upper portion substrate cutting device 160 andthe lower portion substrate cutting device 170 of the scribing deviceguide body 130, a cutting process of the bonded substrate by the steamunit portion 260 may be omitted.

At this time, as shown in FIG. 61, the cutter wheels 162 a are pressedand rotated on an upper mother substrate 91 and a lower mother substrate92 of the bonded mother substrate 90 along lines to be cut on the mothersubstrates 91 and 92 for scribing the mother substrates 91 and 92. Thus,vertical cracks Vm along thickness directions of the mother substrates91 and 92 are sequentially formed along the lines to be cut, and mainscribe lines MS are formed. The vertical cracks Vm are formed such thatthey extend by 80% or more of the thickness of the mother substrates 91and 92, and more preferably, 90% or more from surfaces of the mothersubstrates 91 and 92.

Thereafter, in the area outside the panel substrates obtained by cuttingthe mother substrates 91 and 92, the mother substrates 91 and 92 arescribed by pressing and rotating the cutter wheels 162 a along the mainscribe lines MS on the mother substrates 91 and 92 with spaces of about0.5 to 1.0 mm apart from the main scribe lines MS. Zn this way, verticalcracks Vs along the thickness directions of the mother substrates 91 and92 are sequentially formed along the main scribe lines MS to formsupplementary scribe lines SS.

At this time, the cutter wheels 162 a presses and rotates on thesurfaces of the mother substrates 91 and 92, and the blades thereof cutinto the surfaces of the mother substrates 91 and 92. Thus, a compressedforce is applied to the surfaces of the mother substrates 91 and 92 andthe compressed force has influence on the surface portions of thevertical cracks Vm in the main scribe lines MS which have been alreadyformed. In this example, the vertical cracks Vm forming the main scribelines MS are formed to extend by 80% or more of the thickness of themother substrates 91 and 92. Thus, when the surface portion of themother substrates 91 and 92 are compressed, the vertical cracks Vm ofthe main scribe lines MS have gaps on the surface port ions of themother substrates 91 and 92 compressed and gaps on bottom portions arewidened. Therefore, the vertical cracks Vm are elongated toward thebonded surface of the mother substrates 91 and 92. When the verticalcracks Vm reach the bonded surface of the mother substrates 91 and 92and the vertical cracks Vm reach the bonded surface of the mothersubstrates 91 and 92 across the entirety of the main scribe lines MS,the bonded mother substrate 90 is cut along the main scribe lines MS.

It in preferable that the supplementary scribe lines SS are formed withspaces of about 0.5 to 1.0 mm apart from the main scribe lines MS. Whenthe spaces between the supplementary scribe lines SS and the main scribelines MS are smaller than 0.5 mm, a large compression force is appliedto the surface portion of the vertical cracks Vm forming the main scribelines MS, and damage such as chip may occur in the surface side endportions of the vertical cracks Vm. On the other hand, when the space tolarger than 1.0 mm, the compression force applied to the vertical cracksVm on the main scribe lines MS is not enough, and the vertical cracks Vmmay not reach the bonded surface of the mother substrates 91 and 92.

As described above, by forming double scribe lines of the main scribelines MS and the supplementary scribe lines SS with predeterminedspaces, a plurality of panel substrates 90 a are cut out of the bondedmother substrate 90.

FIG. 62 is a diagram for illustrating a scribe pattern for cutting panelsubstrates 90 a out of the bonded mother substrate 90 by using suchdouble scribe lines of the main scribe lines MS and the supplementaryscribe lines SS. The cutter wheels 162 a of the upper portion substratecutting device 160 and the lower portion substrate cutting device 170run along side edges of the substrate carry-out side of two panelsubstrates 90 a on the substrate carry-out side of the bonded mothersubstrate 90, and a double scribe line (main scribe line MS1 andsupplementary scribe line SS1) is formed on the side edges of thesubstrate carry-out side of the two panel substrates 90 a.

Then, main scribe line MS2 and supplementary scribe line SS2 are formedalong the side edges of the substrate carry-in side of the two panelsubstrates 90 a on the substrate carry-out side of the bonded mothersubstrate 90. When the side edges of the substrate carry-out side andthe substrate carry-in side of the two panel substrates 90 a on thesubstrate carry-out side of the bonded mother substrate go are out, thescribing device guide body 130 slides toward the substrate carry-outside so that the cutter wheels 62 a locate on the side edge portionlocated on the substrate carry-out side of the bonded mother substrate90. Then, the upper portion substrate cutting device 160 and the lowerportion substrate cutting device 170 slide along the upper guide rail131 and the lower guide rail 132 so that the cutter wheels 162 a of theupper portion substrate cutting device 160 and the lower portionsubstrate cutting device 170 are on an extension of the side edge of thepanel substrate 90 a on the substrate carry-out side and close to theframe 111A of the main frame 111, which is close to the main frame 111.Along the extension of the side edge, a double scribe line (main scribeline MS3 and supplementary scribe line SS3) is formed, and the side edgeclose to the frame 111A of the panel substrate 90 a on the substratecarry-out side and close to the frame 111A of the main frame 111 is cut.

Then, double scribe lines (main scribe lines MS4 to MS6 andsupplementary scribe lines SS4 to SS6) are formed in parallel with theframe 111A in a similar manner. Thus, side edges of the panel substrates90 a located on the substrate carry-out side in a direction along theframe 111A are respectively out.

Thereafter, regarding two other panel substrates 90 a along the upperguide rail 131 and the lower guide rail 132, side edges of the panelsubstrates 90 a are cut by forming double scribe lines (main scribelines MS7 to MS12 and supplementary scribe lines SS7 to SS12) along sideedges of the panel substrates 90 a.

In the above description, an example where double scribe lines areindividually formed has been explained. However, the present inventionis not limited to such a method. As long as the double scribe lines areformed along the side edges of the panels 90 a, any method may be used.For example, double scribe lines may be formed on the side edges of thepanel substrates 90 a by using one scribe line.

FIG. 63 is a plan view for illustrating a scribe pattern for cuttingpanel substrates 90 a out of the bonded mother substrate 90 by usingdouble scribe lines of the main scribe lines MS and the supplementaryscribe lines SS. In this example, the mother substrates 91 and 92 of thebonded mother substrate 90 are out along first to eighth lines to be cutD1 through D8 in this order to become four panel substrates 908 arrangedin two rows and two columns.

The first line to be cut D1 corresponds to side edges of two panelsubstrates 90 a in a first row along a row direction (horizontaldirection), and is spaced apart from a side edge of the bonded mothersubstrate 90 along the row direction by a predetermined space. Thesecond line to be cut D2 corresponds to side edges of the two panelsubstrates 90 a in the first low, which are close to the panel substrate90 a in a second row. The third line to be cut D3 corresponds to sideedges of two panel substrates 90 a in the second row which are close tothe panel substrates 90 a in the first row, and is spaced apart from thesecond line to be cut D2 by 2 to 4 mm. The fourth line to be cut D4corresponds to side edges of the two panel substrates 90 a in the secondrow in a row direction (horizontal direction), and is spaced apart fromthe other side edges of the bonded mother substrate 90 along the rowdirection by a predetermined space.

The fifth line to be cut D5 corresponds to side edges of two panelsubstrates 90 a in a first column along the column direction (verticaldirection), and is spaced apart from one side edge of the bonded mothersubstrate 90 along the column direction. The sixth line to be cut D6corresponds to the side edges of the two panel substrates 90 a in thefirst column, which are close to panel substrates 90 a in a secondcolumn. The line to be cut D7 corresponds to side edges of the two panelsubstrates 90 a in the second column, which are close to the panelsubstrates 90 a in the first column, and is spaced apart from the sixthline to be cut D6 by 2 to 4 mm. The line to be cut D8 corresponds to theside edges of the two panel substrates 90 a in the second column alongthe column direction (vertical direction), and is spaced apart from theother side edges of the bonded mother substrate 90 along the columndirection by a predetermined space.

For cutting such a bonded mother substrate 90, first, the cutter wheels162 a are pressed and rotated along, for example, the first to fourthlines to be cut D1 to D4 in this order. Thus, first to fourth mainscribe lines MS13 to MS16 are formed by vertical cracks having depths of90% or more of the thicknesses of the mother substrates 91 and 92 fromthe surface of the upper and lower mother substrates 91 and 92 of thebonded mother substrate 90.

In this state, the cutter wheels 162 a are pressed and rotated along thefifth line to be cut D5. Thus, fifth main scribe line MS17 is formedalong the fifth line to be cut D5.

Thereafter, sixth to eighth main scribe lines MS18 to MS20 are formedalong the sixth through eighth lines to be cut D6 to D8 in this order bypressing and rotating the cutter wheels 162 a along the sixth througheighth lines to be cut D6 to D8 in turn in a similar manner.

After the first through eighth main scribe lines MS 13 to MS 20 areformed as such, first supplementary scribe line SS13 to formed along thefirst main scribe line MS13 by pressing and rotating the cutter wheels162 a in a side edge portion of the bonded mother substrate 90, which ison opposite side of the panel substrates 90 a with respect to the firstmain scribe line MS13, with a space of about 0.5 to 1.0 mm from thefirst main scribe line MS13. Thus, vertical cracks on the first mainscribe line MS13 extend toward the bonded surface of the mothersubstrates 91 and 92 of the bonded mother substrate 90 and reach thebonded surface of the mother substrates 91 and 92. Such a phenomenaoccurs across entirety of the first main scribe line MS13, and thebonded mother substrate 90 is cut along the first main scribe line MS13.

Next, a second supplementary scribe line SS14 is formed along the secondmain scribe line MS14 by the cutter wheels 162 a in an area opposite tothe panel substrates 90 with respect to the second main scribe lineMS14, with a space of about 0.5 to 1.0 mm from the second main scribeline MS14. Thus, vertical cracks on the second main scribe line MS14extend toward the bonded surface of the mother substrates 91 and 92 ofthe bonded mother substrate 90 from the surfaces of the mothersubstrates 91 and 92 of the bonded mother substrate 90, and the verticalcracks reach the bonded surface of the mother substrates 91 and 92across the entirety of the second main scribe line MS14. In this way,the bonded mother substrate 90 is cut along the second main scribe lineMS14.

Along the third main scribe line MS15 and the fourth main scribe lineMS16, third supplementary scribe line SS15 and a fourth supplementaryscribe line SS16 are respectively formed on the side opposite to thepanel substrates 90 a. Thus, the bonded mother substrate 90 issequentially cut along the third main scribe line MS15 and the fourthmain scribe line MS16.

Thereafter, along the fifth to eighth main scribe lines MS17 to MS20,fifth to eighth supplementary scribe lines SS17 to SS20 are formed onthe side opposite to the panel substrates 90 a respectively between thefirst main scribe line 13 and the second main scribe line MS14, andbetween the third main scribe line MS15 and the fourth main scribe lineMS16. Thus, the bonded mother substrate 90 are cut along the fifth toeighth main scribe lines MS17 to MS20 and unnecessary portions areremoved. As a result, four panel displays 90 a can be obtained.

In this example, the first to eighth main scribe lines MS13 to MS20 areformed between end surfaces of the bonded mother substrate 90, morespecifically, formed across the entirety of the lines to be cut D1 to D5formed across one and surface of the bonded mother substrate 90 b to theopposing other end surface. Further, the first to eighth supplementaryscribe lines SS13 to SS20 are respectively formed across the and surfaceor one cut surface which has been cut to the opposing other end surfaceor the other cut surface.

The present invention is not limited to the method in which the first toeighth main scribe lines MS13 to MS20 are formed across the entirety ofthe lines to be cut D1 to D8 formed between the end surfaces of thebonded mother substrate 90, the first to fourth supplementary scribelines SS13 to SS16 across the one end surface of the bonded mothersubstrate 90 and the opposing other end surface, and the fifth to theeighth supplementary scribe lines SS17 to the SS20 are formed across onecut surface of the bonded mother substrate 90 to the opposing other cutsurface. As shown in FIG. 64, positions spaced apart from the one endsurface of the mother glass substrate 10 by about 0.2 to 0.5 mm may bethe start positions of the first to eighth main scribe lines MS13 to MS20, and similarly, positions in front of is the other end surfaces byabout 0.2 to 0.5 mm may be end portions of the first to eighth mainscribe lines MS13 to MS20.

In this example, when the cutter wheels 162 a are pressed and rotated onthe mother substrates 91 and 92 of the bonded mother substrate 90 toperform scribing for forming the first to eighth main scribe lines MS13to MS20, vertical cracks extend in back and front directions of thescribing direction with respect to the scribing start positions. Thus,the first to eighth main scribe lines MS13 to MS20 to be formed reachone end surface of the mother substrates 91 and 92 of the bonded mothersubstrate 90.

Similarly, even though the scribing end positions of the first to eighthmain scribe lines MS13 to MS20 are in front of the other end surface ofthe mother substrates 91 and 92 of the bonded mother substrate 90, sincethe vertical cracks in the mother substrates 91 and 92 extend in thescribing direction, the first to eighth main scribe lines MS13 to MS20to be formed reach the other end surface of the mother substrates 91 and92.

This shows that it is not necessary to form first to eighthsupplementary scribe lines SS13 to SS20 across one end surface or onecut surface which has been cut of the mother substrates 90 and 91 to theopposing other end surface or the opposing other cut surface. As shownin FIG. 64, positions appropriately spaced apart from one end surface orthe one cut surface which has been cut of the mother substrates 91 and92 of the bonded mother substrate 90 by 0.2 to 0.5 mm may be startpositions of the first to eighth supplementary scribe lines SS13 toSS20. Similarly, positions in front of the other end surface or cutsurface by about 0.2 to 0.5 mm may be end positions of the first toeighth supplementary scribe lines SS13 to SS20.

Furthermore, one of the first to eighth main scribe lines MS13 to MS20and the first to eighth supplementary scribe lines SS13 to SS20 may beformed across the one end surface or one cut surface which has been cutof the mother substrates 91 and 92 of the bonded mother substrate to theother end surface or the other cut surface of the mother substrates 91and 92, and the other of the first to eighth main scribe lines MS13 toMS20 and the first to eighth supplementary scribe lines SS13 to SS20 maybe formed across the position appropriately space apart from the one endsurface or one cut surface which has been cut of the mother substrates91 and 92 of the bonded mother substrate 90 to positions in front of theother end surface or the other cut surface of the mother substrates 91and 92.

FIG. 65 is a plan view for illustrating another scribe patter forcutting the panel substrates 90 a out of the bonded mother substrate 90.In this scribing method, first and second main scribe lines MS13 andMS14 are formed by the cutter wheels 162 a, along first and second linesto be cut D1 and D2 on the bonded mother substrate 90 along thehorizontal direction are respectively formed by vertical cracks whichextend to 90% or more of the thicknesses of the mother substrates 91 and92 from the surfaces of the mother substrates 91 and 92 of the bondedmother substrate 90. Thereafter, in the area between the first andsecond main scribe lines MS13 and MS14, fifth main scribe line MS17along the fifth line to be cut D5 along the vertical direction is formedby the cutter wheels 162 a, and fifth supplementary scribe lines SS17 isformed on the side opposite to the panel substrates 90 a being spacedapart from the fifth main scribe line MS17 by about 0.5 to 1.0 mm.

In this example, the fifth main scribe line MS17 and the fifthsupplementary scribe line SS117 respectively arose the first and secondmain scribe lines MS13 and MS14. The fifth main scribe line MS17 runsover the second main scribe line MS14 and then is inverted by 180degrees to form the fifth supplementary scribe line SS17 so that thefifth main scribe line MS17 and the fifth supplementary scribe line SS17are formed continuously with one scribing.

Thereafter, similarly, in the area between the first and second mainscribe lines MS13 and MS14, sixth scribe line MS18 is formed by thecutter wheals 162 a along sixth line to be cut D8, and then is invertedto form sixth supplementary scribe line SS18 on the side opposite to thepanel substrates 90 a. Further, seventh main scribe line MS19 andseventh supplementary scribe lines SS19, and eight main scribe line MS20and eighth supplementary scribe lines SS20 are formed similarly in turn.Since the fifth to eighth main scribe lines MS17 to MS20 and the fifthto eighth supplementary scribe lines SS17 to SS20 pass across the firstand second main scribe lines MS13 and MS14, it is ensured that verticalcracks forming the first and second main scribe lines MS13 and MS14reach the bonded surface of the mother substrates 91 and 92 of thebonded mother substrate 90 across the entirety of the first and secondmain scribe lines MS13 and MS14, and a pair of the panel substrates 90 aare obtained.

Before the substrate is cut into the pair of the panel substrates 90 aat this point, an area of the bonded mother substrate 90 which has notbeen cut is referred to a second substrate portion 90 c.

Next, as shown in portion (b) of FIG. 66, on the second substrateportion 90 c cut by the second main scribe line MS14, the cutter wheels162 a are pressed and rotated along the lines to be cut D3 and D4 on thebonded mother substrate 90 along the vertical direction, and third andfourth main scribe lines MS15 and MS16 are formed by vertical cracksextended to 90% or more of the thicknesses of the mother substrates 91and 92 from the surfaces of the mother substrates 91 and 92 of thebonded mother substrate 90. Thereafter, in the area between the thirdand fourth main scribe lines MS15 and MS16, ninth main scribe line MS21and fifth supplementary scribe line SS21 along ninth line to be cut D9along the vertical direction, tenth main scribe line MS22 and tenthsupplementary scribe line SS22 along the tenth line to be cut D10,eleventh main scribe line MS23 and eleventh supplementary scribe lineSS23 along the eleventh line to be cut D11, and twelfth main scribe lineMS24 and twelfth supplementary scribe line SS24 along the twelfth lineto be cut D12 are sequentially formed outside the panel substrates 90 aso as to cross the third and fourth main scribe lines MS15 and MS16.Thus, the second substrate portion 90 c is cut, and a pair of panelsubstrates 90 a are cut.

It is not necessary that the fifth to twelfth supplementary scribe linesSS21 to SS24 cross the first and third main scribe lines MS13 and MS15.For example, as shown in FIG. 66, positions in front of the first andthird main scribe lines MS13 and MS15 by about 0.2 to 0.5 mm may be endportions of the fifth to twelfth supplementary scribe lines SS17 toSS24. In such a case, vertical cracks forming the fifth to twelfthsupplementary scribe lines SSl7 to SS24 also extend in the scribingdirection. The fifth to twelfth main scribe lines MS17 to M524 are cutacross the entirety of the main scribe lines MS17 to MS24.

In the case where the scribe lines are formed to cross each other forcutting the substrate as described above, as shown in FIG. 67, first,the main scribe lines MS13 to MS16 are formed along the first to fourthlines to be cut D1 to D4, and then, the fifth main scribe line MS17 andthe fifth supplementary scribe line SS17, the sixth main scribe lineMS18 and the sixth supplementary scribe line SS18, the seventh mainscribe line MS19 and the seventh supplementary scribe line SS19, and theeighth main scribe line MS20 and the eighth supplementary scribe lineSS20 are formed to respectively cross the first main scribe line MS13and fourth main scribe line MS16 such that the main scribe lines and thesupplementary scribe lines are formed continuously with one scribing byinverting the line by 180 degrees after they cross over the fourth mainscribe line MS16.

FIG. 68 is a schematic plan view for illustrating a scribing pattern forcutting the display panels 90 a out of the bonded mother substrate 90 byusing double scribe lines of main scribe lines MS and supplementaryscribe lines SS. First, with the scribing method shown in FIG. 57, fourscribe lines along lines to be scribed S1 to S4 with respect to thepanel substrates 90 a (hereinafter, four linear scribe lines across theentire circumferences of the panel substrates 90 a will be referred toas main scribe line DS1) are formed. Then, outside the panel substrates90 a with respect to the main scribe line DS1, four linear sub-scribeline DS2 in parallel to the main scribe line DS1 spaced apart from themain scribe line DS1 by about 0.5 to 1 mm.

As described above, when the sub-scribe line DS2 it formed with a spaceof about 0.5 to 1 mm apart from the main scribe line DS1, a stress toapplied to a horizontal direction which is orthogonal to the formationdirection of the scribe lines on a surface of the bonded mothersubstrate 90 when the sub-scribe line S2 is formed. Thus, a compressionforce is applied to surface portions of the vertical cracks which formthe main scribe line DS1 which has been already formed. When thecompression force is applied to the surface portion of the verticalcracks forming the main scribe line DS1 as such, a reaction force isapplied in a direction to widen the width of the vertical cracks formingthe main scribe line DS1. In this way, the vertical cracks extend in thethickness direction of the bonded mother substrate 90 and the verticalcracks reach the bonded surface of the mother substrates 91 and 92 ofthe bonded mother substrate.

In this example, as shown in FIG. 69, sub-scribe line DS2 may be formedcontinuously after the main scribe line DS1 without separating thecutter wheels 162 a from the front and back surfaces of the bondedmother substrate 90 after the main scribe line DS1 is formed.

Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 58, when scribe lines are first formedalong lines to be scribed S1 and S2, and then scribe lines arecontinuously formed along lines to be scribed S4 and S2, as shown inFIG. 70, the sub-scribe line DS2 may be formed after the main scribeline DS1 is formed.

Further, as a method for cutting the substrate, a method in which doublescribe lines are formed on the bonded mother substrates where the glasssubstrates, which is a type of brittle material substrate, are bonded asmother substrates has been described. However, the present invention isnot limited to this. When the substrate is a metal substrate such assteel sheet, wood plate, a plastic substrate, and a brittle materialsubstrate such as ceramics substrate, glass substrate, semiconductorsubstrate or the like, a method for cutting the substrate by using, forexample, laser light, a dicing saw, a cutting blade, a diamond cutter,or the like may be used.

Furthermore, the substrates include, besides mother substrate, a bondedsubstrate formed by bonding the same type of mother substrates, a bondedmother substrate formed by bonding different types of mother substrates,and a substrate formed by laminating mother substrates.

Embodiment 3

FIG. 71 is a schematic perspective view showing an example of anotherembodiment of the substrate cutting system according to the presentinvention in whole. FIG. 72 to a plan view of the substrate cuttingsystem. FIG. 73 is a side view of the substrate cutting system. In thepresent invention, “substrates” include mother substrates cut into aplurality of substrates and also include single plates of metalsubstrates such as steel sheets, wood plates, plastic substrates andceramic substrate, semiconductor substrates, and brittle materialsubstrates such as glass substrates. Furthermore, the “substrates” arenot limited to such single plates, but also includes bonded substratesformed by bonding pairs of substrates and laminated substrates formed bylaminating pairs of substrates.

The substrate cutting system according to the present invention cut thebonded mother substrate 90 formed by boding a pair of mother glasssubstrates to each other into a plurality of panel substrates (displaypanel bonded substrates) for producing, for example, panel substrates(display panel bonded substrates) of the liquid crystal displayapparatus which are bonded to each other.

A substrate cutting system 300 according to Embodiment 3 includes apositioning unit portion 320, a scribe unit portion 340, a lift conveyerportion 360, a steam break unit portion 380, a substrate carrying unitportion 400, a panel inversion unit portion 420, and a panel terminalseparation portion 440.

Regarding the substrate cutting system 300 according Embodiment 3, aside on which positioning unit portion 320 is located is referred to asa substrate carry-in side and a side on which the panel terminalseparation portion 440 to located is referred to as a substratecarry-out side in the following description. In the substrate cuttingsystem 300, a direction in which the substrates are carried (substrateflowing direction) is +Y direction from the substrate carry-in side tothe substrate carry-out side. The direction in which the substrates arecarried is a direction orthogonal to a scribing device guide body 342 ofthe scribe unit portion 340 in a horizontal fashion and the scribingdevice guide body 342 is provided along X direction.

The following description will be made with reference to an example inwhich the bonded mother substrate 90 is cut as a substrate. First, thebonded mother substrate 90 is carried into the positioning unit portion320 by a carrying device (not shown) of the former step. Then, thepositioning unit portion 320 places the bonded mother substrate 90 on afirst substrate supporting portion 341A of the scribe unit portion 340and positions the bonded mother substrate 90 on the first substratesupporting portion 341A.

As shown in FIG. 74, the positioning unit portion 320 includes: a guidebar 326 elongated along one side edge of a mounting structure 330, whichis provided along Y direction on the mounting structure 330 via pillars328; and a guide bar 327 elongated along the other side edge of themounting structure 330 in parallel with the guide bar 326. Thepositioning unit portion 320 further includes a guide bar 323 elongatedalong X direction provided on the mounting structure 330 via pillars 328on the substrate carry-in side of the mounting structure 330 between theguide bar 326 and the guide bar 327.

The guide bar 325 and the guide bar 326 respectively include a pluralityof reference rollers 323 which will be criteria for positioning thebonded mother substrate 90. The guide bar 327 includes a plurality ofpushers 324 for pushing the bonded mother substrate 90 toward thereference rollers provided on the guide bar 326 for positioning thebonded mother substrate 90.

Above the mounting structure 330, a plurality of suction pad bases 321are provided between the guide bar 326 and the guide bar 327 withpredetermined spaces therebetween. The suction pad bases 321 are hold bya moving device 322 provided on an upper surface of the mountingstructure 330 on the guide bar 326 side and a moving device 322 providedon an upper surface of the mounting structure 330 on the guide bar 327side.

The suction pad bases 321 include suction bases 321 a. Plurality of thesuction bases 321 a receive the bonded mother substrate 90 from thecarrying device (not shown) of the former step, and suck the bondedmother substrate 90 by sucking devices which are not shown foradsorption.

The first substrate supporting portion 341A of the scribe unit portion340 moves toward the substrate carry-in side and waits at the positionof the positioning unit portion 320. The plurality of suction pad bases321 holding the bonded mother substrate 90 sink into the waiting firstsubstrate supporting portion 341A by moving devices 322. Thus, thebonded mother substrate 90 is placed on the first substrate supportingportion 341A.

The scribe unit portion 340 has a structure similar to that in thesubstrate cutting system 100 according to Embodiment 2 except for itdoes not include the substrate carry-out device 180 and the steam unitportion 260. Other mechanical structure is similar to that of Embodiment1.

The scribing device guide body 342 of the scribe unit portion 340 iscoupled with the first substrate supporting portion 341A and a secondsubstrate supporting portion 341B, and, as the scribing device guidebody 342 moves in Y-direction, the first substrate supporting portion341A and the second substrate supporting portion 341B move in the samedirection as the scribing device guide body 342 at the same time.

The first substrate supporting portion 341A and the second substratesupporting portion 341B respectively include a plurality of firstsubstrate supporting units 344A and a plurality of second substratesupporting units 344B which are movable in the same direction as themoving direction of the scribing device guide body 342. The firstsubstrate supporting units 344A and the second substrate supportingunits 344B are respectively formed linearly along a direction parallelto a frame 343A and a frame 343B (Y direction).

One of the first substrate supporting units 344A provided in the firstsubstrate supporting portion 341A is similar to the first substratesupporting units 121A shown in FIG. 43 in Embodiment 2. Timing beltsprovided in the first substrate supporting units 344A are rotated whenclutch provided in the first substrate supporting portion 341A iscoupled with a driving axis.

A plurality of the first substrate supporting units 344A are arrangedwith predetermined spaces therebetween, and move in Y direction alongthe frames 343A and 343B with the scribing device guide body 342.

A mechanism for rotating the timing belts of the first substratesupporting units 344A having such structures is similar to that shown inFIGS. 44 to 46 in Embodiment 2. The frames 111A and 111B in FIG. 44correspond to the frames 343A and 343B in Embodiment 3.

As shown in FIG. 44, clamp units including clutches for rotating timingbelts by rotating driving timing pulleys of the plurality of firstsubstrate supporting units 344A provided in the first substratesupporting portion 341A are provided on the sides of frames 343A and343B.

As shown in FIG. 73, a pillar 345 on the frame 343A side which supportsthe first substrate supporting units 344A and a pillars 345 on the frame343B side are held by the guide bases 347, and to the pillars 345 forsupporting both ends of the scribing device guide body 342, movers (notshown) of the linear motors are attached. Thus, by driving the linearmotors, the scribing device guide body 342 is moved toward the substratecarry-in side, and a plurality of first substrate supporting units 344Aof the first substrate supporting portion 341A are moved toward thesubstrate carry-in side.

When the scribing device guide body 342 is moved, the pinion of theclutch unit on the frame 343A side and the pinion of the clutch unit onthe frame 343B side, which are engaged with the racks attached as inFIG. 45 along the frames 343A and 343B, are rotated.

For rotating the driving timing pulleys of the first substratesupporting units 344A and moving the timing belts, clutches on bothsides of the frames 343A and 343B may be coupled to the respectivedriving axes to which the rotation of the pinions is transmitted, or theclutch on one of the frames 343A and 343B may be coupled to the drivingaxes to which rotation of the pinions is transmitted.

The second substrate supporting portion 341B includes a plurality ofsecond substrate supporting units 344B which are movable in the samedirection as the moving direction of the scribing device guide body 342.The second substrate supporting units 344B have similar structures asthose of the first substrate supporting units 344A, and supported by thepillar 345 on the frame 343A side and the pillar 345 on the frame 343Bside so as to be attached in an inverted direction with respect to Ydirection to provide an arrangement symmetrical with respect to thescribing device guide body 342. The respective pillars are supported bythe guide bases 347.

Since the movers (not shown) of the linear motors are attached to theguide bases 347 for holding the pillars 346 which support both ends ofthe scribing device guide body 342, the scribing device guide body 342is moved toward the substrate carry-in side by driving the linear motor,and a plurality of the second substrate supporting units 344B of thesecond substrate supporting portion 341B also move toward the substratecarry-in side.

On the frame 343A side and the frame 343B side of the second substratesupporting portion 341B, clutch units similar to those in the firstsubstrate supporting portion 341A are provided. When the scribing deviceguide body 342 is moved, the pinion of the clutch unit on the frame 343Aside and the pinion of the clutch unit on the frame 343B side, which areengaged with the racks attached along the frames 343A and 343B, arerotated.

For rotating the driving timing pulleys of the second substratesupporting units 344B and moving the timing belts, clutches on bothsides of the frames 343A and 343B may be coupled to the respectivedriving axes to which rotation of the pinions is transmitted, or theclutch on one of the frames 343A and 343B way be coupled to the drivingaxes to which rotation of the pinions is transmitted.

Furthermore, above the mounting structure 350, the clamp device 351 forclamping the bonded mother substrate 90, which is supported by the firstsubstrate supporting portion 341A and pushed against the positioningpins so as to be positioned, is provided. For example, as shown in FIG.71, the clamp device 351 includes a plurality of clamp devices 351attached to the frame 343B with predetermined spaces therebetween in alongitudinal direction so as to clamp a side edge of the bonded mothersubstrate 90 along the frame 343B, and a plurality of clamp devices 351arranged along the direction orthogonal to the frame 343B with apredetermined spaces therebetween for clamping a side edge of the bondedmother substrate 90 on the substrate carry-in side.

The operation of each of the clamp devices 351 is as described withreference to FIGS. 49 and 50, and thus, the description thereof isomitted.

Further, in the above-described the arrangement of the clamp device 351,the clamp device 351 for holding the bonded mother substrate 90 isprovided on the substrate carry-in side in a direction orthogonal to theframe 343A and the frame 343B. However, even when the clamp device 351is provided only on the frame 343B, the bonded mother substrate 90 canbe held without receiving damage.

The structure of the clamp devices 351 as described above is merely anexample used in the substrate cutting system of the present invention,and the structures are not limited to such structures. The clamp device150 and the clamp members 151 may have any kind of structures as long asthey can grip or hold the side edges of the bonded mother substrate 90.When the substrate size is small, the substrate can be held by clampingone position of the side edge of the substrate, and the substrate can becut without causing a defect in the substrate.

As shown in FIG. 40 of Embodiment 2, the upper portion substrate cuttingdevice 160 is attached to the upper guide rail 352 in the scribingdevice guide body 342. The lower portion substrate cutting device 170having the similar structure as the upper portion substrate cuttingdevice 160 but inverted upside down as shown in FIG. 41 of Embodiment 2is attached to the lower guide rail 354. The upper portion substratecutting device 160 and the lower portion substrate cutting device 170respectively slide along the upper guide rail 352 and the lower guiderail 353 by the linear motors.

For example, in the upper portion substrate cutting device 160 and thelower portion substrate cutting device 170, a cutter wheel 162 a forscribing the upper glass substrate of the banded mother substrate 90similar to that shown in FIGS. 40 and 41 in Embodiment 2 is rotatablyattached to a tip holder 162 b, and the tip holder 162 b is rotatablyattached to a cutter head 162 c having an axis in a direction verticalto the front and back surfaces of the bonded mother substrate 90 held bythe clamp devices 351. The cutter head 162 a is movable along adirection vertical to the front and back surfaces of the bonded mothersubstrate by driving means which is not shown. The cutter wheel 162 a isappropriately loaded by energizing means which is not shown.

The cutter wheel 162 a held by the tip holder 162 b may have a bladeedge protruded so as to have a center portion in a width direction of ashape of letter V with an obtuse angle and may have protrusions of apredetermined height formed on the blade edge with predetermined pitchesin a circumferential direction as disclosed in Japanese Laid-OpenPublication No. 9-188534.

The lower portion substrate cutting device 170 provided on the lowerguide rail 353 has a similar structure as the upper portion substratecutting device 160 but inversed upside down. A cutter wheel 162 a of thelower portion substrate cutting device 170 (see FIG. 41) is arranged soas to oppose the cutter wheel 162 a of the upper portion substratecutting device 160.

The cutter wheel 162 a of the upper portion substrate cutting device 160are pressed onto a surface of the bonded mother substrate 90 and rotatedby the above-described energizing means and moving means of the cutterhead 162 c. The cutter wheal 162 a of the lower portion substratecutting device 170 is pressed onto a back surface of the bonded mothersubstrate 90 by the above-described energizing means and moving means ofthe cutter head 162 c. By moving the upper portion substrate cuttingdevice 160 and the lower portion substrate cutting device 170 in thesame direction at the same time, the bonded mother substrate 90 to cut.

It is preferable that the cutter wheel 162 a is rotatably supported by acutter head 165 using a servo motor disclosed in WO 03/011777.

FIG. 51 shows a side view of an exemplary cutter head 165 using a servomotor. FIG. 52 is a front view of the main part of the cutter head 165.A servo motor 165 b is held between a pair of side walls 165 a in aninverted state. In the lower part of the side walls 165 a, a holdermaintaining assembly 165 c having a shape of letter L when viewed fromside is rotatably provided via a spindle 165 d. On the front portion ofthe holder maintaining assembly 165 c (the right hand part in FIG. 52),the tip holder 162 b for rotatably supporting the cutter wheel 162 a viaan axis 16 e. Flat bevel gears 165 f are respectively attached to therotation axis of the servo motor 165 b and the spindle 165 d so as toengage each other. With such a structure, by rotating the servo motor165 b in normal or inverted direction, the holder maintaining assembly165 c performs an elevating operation having the spindle 165 d as afulcrum and the cutter wheel 162 a moves up and down. The cutter head165 itself is included in the upper portion substrate cutting device 160and/or lower portion substrate cutting device 170.

FIG. 53 is a front view showing another example of a cutter head using aservo motor. In this example, the rotation axis of the servo motor 165 bis directly connected to the holder maintaining assembly 165 c.

The cutter heads of FIGS. 51 and 53 moves the cutter wheel 162 a forpositioning by rotating the servo motor by position control. Such acutter head controls a rotation torque which acts to bring back theposition of the cutter wheel 162 a to the position which has beenpreviously set to the servo motor 165 b when the position is moved fromthe set position, and transmits a scribing pressure to a brittlematerial substrate during scribing operation in which the cutter head ismoved in the horizontal direction to form scribe lines on the bondedmother substrate 90. In other words, the servo motor 165 b controls theposition of the cutter wheel 162 a in a vertical direction and alsoserves as energizing means for the cutter wheel 162 a.

By using the cutter head including the servo motor as described above,the rotation torque of the servo motor can be corrected while the bondedmother substrate 90 is being scribed instantly in accordance with thechange in a scribing pressure due to a variance in resistance applied tothe cutter wheel. Thus, stable scribing is performed and scribe lineswith high quality can be formed.

A cutter head including a mechanism to periodically change the pressureto the bonded mother substrate 90 by a scribing cutter by vibrating thescribing cutter such as a diamond point cutter and/or cutter wheel forscribing the bonded mother substrate 90 may also effectively applied tothe cutting of the mother substrate by the substrate cutting system ofthe present invention.

The structures of the upper portion substrate cutting device 160 and thelower portion substrate cutting device 170 are not limited to theabove-described structures. The devices may have any kind of structuresas long as they process the front and back surfaces of the substrate tocut the substrate.

For example, the upper portion substrate cutting device 160 and thelower portion substrate cutting device 170 may be a device for cuttingthe mother substrate by using laser light, a dicing saw, a cuttingblade, a diamond cutter, or the like.

When the mother substrate is a metal substrate such as steel sheet, woodplate, aplastic substrate, and a brittle material substrate ouch asceramics substrate, glass substrate, semiconductor substrate or thelike, a scribing device for cutting the mother substrate by using, forexample, laser light, a dicing saw, a cutting blade, a diamond cutter,or the like may be used.

Furthermore, the upper portion substrate cutting device 160 and thelower portion substrate cutting device 170 may further include cuttingassistance means for assisting in the cutting of the substrate. Thecutting assistance means may be, for example, means for pressing aroller or the like to the substrate, or means for warming (heating) thesubstrate by spraying compressed air to the substrate, irradiating thesubstrate with laser, or blowing hot air to the substrate.

In the above example, the upper portion substrate cutting device 160 andthe lower portion substrate cutting device 170 have the same structure.However, they may have different structures depending upon the cuttingpattern of the substrate and cutting conditions for the substrate.

The lift conveyer portion 360 is a device for carrying the scribedbonded mother substrate 90 which is placed on the plurality of secondsubstrate supporting units 344B of the second substrate supportingportion 241B to the steam break unit portion 380 after the bonded mothersubstrate 90 is scribed by the upper portion substrate cutting device160 and the lower portion substrate cutting device 170 of the scribingdevice guide body 342 of the scribe unit portion 340, and then, clampingof the bonded mother substrate 90 by the clamp devices 351 is released.

FIG. 75 is a plan view of the lift conveyer portion 360. FIG. 76 is aside view of third substrate supporting units 361 which form the liftconveyer portion 360.

Each of the third substrate supporting units 361 has a support main body361 a elongated linearly along a direction parallel to the frames 343Aand 343B (Y direction), and timing pulleys 361 c and 361 d for guiding atiming belt 361 e are respectively attached to end portions of thesupport main body 361 a. A driving timing pulley 361 b is coupled to arotation axis to which rotation of a rotation motor 367 is transmittedby a belt 368, and rotates the timing belt 361 e.

A plurality of the third substrate supporting units 361 are arranged inthe lift conveyer portion 360 with predetermined spaces therebetween.The plurality of the third substrate supporting units 361 are held to aholding frame 362 via pillars 365 such that a plurality of the secondsubstrate supporting units 344B of the second substrate supportingportion 341B of the scribe unit portion 340 are inserted between thespaces.

A center portion of each of the frames 362 a of the holding frames 362on the frame 343A side and the frame 343B side includes a cylinder 366.The main body of the cylinder 366 is jointed to an upper surface ofmounting structure 370, and a rod of the cylinder 366 is jointed to eachof the frames 362 a of the holding frames 362. On both sides of each ofthe frames 362 a of the holding frames 362, guide shafts 364 areprovided, and respectively inserted into linear guides 363 provided onthe upper surface of the mounting structure 370.

The scribed bonded mother substrate 90, which is placed on the pluralityof second substrate supporting units 344B of the second substratesupporting portion 241B after the bonded mother substrate 90 is scribedby the upper portion substrate cutting device 160 and the lower portionsubstrate cutting device 170 of the scribing device guide body 342 ofthe scribe unit portion 340, and then, clamping (holding) of the bondedmother substrate 90 by the clamp devices 351 is released, is placed onthe plurality of the third substrate supporting units 361 and is movedto a predetermined position in upstream (+Z direction) along a verticaldirection by driving the cylinders 366. Then, by rotating the rotationmotor 367 and moving the timing belt 361 e, the bonded mother substrate90 is moved to the steam break unit portion 380.

The steam break unit portion 380 has similar structure as the steam unitportion 260 shown in FIG. 47 in Embodiment 2 except that it is fixedinstead of moving along Y direction.

The steam break unit portion 380 includes an upper steam unit attachmentbar 381 for attaching a plurality of steam units 384 for spraying steamto the upper mother substrate 91 of the bonded mother substrate 90 and alower steam unit attachment bar 382 for attaching a plurality of steamunits 384 for spraying steam on the lower mother substrate 92 of thebonded mother substrate 90 attached to pillars 383 along X directionparallel to the scribing device guide body 342.

The pillars 383 of the scribe unit portion 340 on the frame 343A sideand the frame 343B side are respectively jointed to the upper surface ofthe mounting structure 370. On the substrate carry-out side of the steambreak unit portion 380, a belt conveyer 385 for supporting and carryingthe completely cut bonded mother substrate 90 after steam is sprayed onthe front and back surfaces of the bonded mother substrate 90 from thesteam units 384, which is, for example, a rotating belt having a sheetshape, is provided.

The rotation moving speed of the belt conveyer 385 provided on thesubstrate carry-out side of the steam break unit portion 380 is set tobe substantially the same as the rotation moving speed of the timingbelt 361 e of the plurality of the third substrate supporting units 361of the lift conveyer portion 360, and they move in synchronization.

The steam break unit portion 380 has similar structure as the steam unitportion 260 shown in FIG. 47 in Embodiment 2. A plurality of steam units384 are attached to the upper steam unit attachment bar 381 and aplurality of steam units 384 are attached to the lower steam unitattachment bar 382 with a gap GA spaced apart from the upper pluralityof steam units 384. The gap GA is adjusted so an to allow the bondedmother substrate 90 to pass through the gap GA.

The structures of the steam units 384 are similar as those of the steamunits 261 shown in FIG. 48 in Embodiment 2. Each of the steam units 384is mostly made of an aluminum material, and a plurality of heaters 261 aare embedded in a vertical direction. When an opening/closing valve (notshown) which can be opened or closed automatically is opened, waterflows into the steam unit 261 from a water supply port 261 b and heatedby the heaters 261 a. The supplied water is vaporized and becomes steam.The steam is blown to the surface of the mother substrate through aconducting hole 261 c and from a spray nozzle 261 d.

Further, on the carry-out side of the upper steam unit attachment bar381, an air knife 386 for removing water which remains on the surface ofthe mother substrate 90 after the steam is blown to the upper surface ofthe mother substrate 90 is attached.

The lower steam unit attachment bar 382 also includes the steam units384 and the air knife 385 similar to those attached to the upper steamunit attachment bar 382.

The scribed bonded mother substrate 90 which is placed on the pluralityof second substrate supporting units is placed on the third substratesupporting units 361 and is moved to a predetermined position abovealong the vertical direction (Y direction). Then, the belt conveyer 385provided on the steam break unit portion 380 on the substrate carry-outside is moved at the substantially same rotation moving speed as that ofthe timing belts 361 e of the plurality of the third substratesupporting units 361. Thus, the scribed bonded mother substrate 90passes through the steam break unit portion 380, is out into panelsubstrates 90 a, and is to be supported by the belt conveyer 385.

The substrate carrying unit portion 400 is a device for taking up amoving or stopped panel substrate 90 a which has passed through thesteam break unit portion 380, has been cut into panel substrates 90 a,and is to be supported by the belt conveyer 385, and placing on a panelholding portion 422 of an inverted carrying robot 421 of panel inversionunit portion 420.

Above the mounting structure 370 and mounting structure 430 of thesubstrate carrying unit portion, a substrate carry-out device guide 401for allowing the carrying robot 410 for carrying out the panelsubstrates cut out of the bonded mother substrate 90 to move in Xdirection parallel to the steam break unit portion 380 and the scribingdevice guide body 342, which is a direction orthogonal to Y direction,that is a substrate flowing direction. The substrate carrying unitportion 400 has both end portions of the substrate carry-out deviceguide 401 slide via supporting members 404 by linear motors along guides403 respectively provided on the upper surfaces of the mountingstructure 370 and 430 via pillars 402 on the frame 343A side and theframe 343B side. In this case, the linear motors are formed by insertingmovers (not shown) of the linear motors respectively attached to thesupporting members 404 into the stators respectively provided on theguides 403.

The carrying robot 410 includes an adsorption portion (not shown) forauction-adsorbing panel substrates 90 a cut out of the bonded mothersubstrate 90. The carrying robot 410 is slid to the substrate carry-outside with the panel substrate 90 a adsorbed by the adsorption portion.Thus, the panel substrate 90 a is placed on the panel holding portion422 of the inverted carrying robot 421 of the panel inversion unitportion 420.

Since the structure of the carrying robot 410 of the substrate carryingunit portion 400 is similar to that of the carrying robot 240 shown inFIG. 42 in Embodiment 2, the detailed description thereof is omitted.The carrying robot 410 is attached to the substrate carry-out deviceguide 401, and is made movable in a direction along the substratecarry-out device guide 401 (X direction) by a moving mechanism formed bycombining driving means of a linear motor or servo motor and a linearguide.

For carrying the panel substrates 90 a cut out of the bonded mothersubstrate 90 by the carrying robot 410, the cut panel substrates 90 aare hold by adsorption pads of the carrying robot 410 by sucking with asucking mechanism which is not shown, and the entire carrying robot 410is temporarily lifted by a moving mechanism (not shown). Then, thesubstrates are carried to the inverted carrying robot 421 of the panelinversion unit portion 420 in next step, and the entire carrying robot410 is moved down again by the moving mechanism (not shown) and placedin a previously decided state in a predetermined position of the panelholding portion 422 of the inverted carrying robot 421 of the panelinversion unit portion 420 in the next step.

The panel inversion unit portion 420 includes the inverted carryingrobot 421. The panel inversion unit portion 420 receives the panelsubstrates 90 a from the carrying robot 410 of the substrate carryingunit portion 400 and inverts the panel substrates 90 a upside down toplace on a separation table 441 on the panel terminal separation portion440.

The panel holding portion 422 of the inverted carrying robot 421includes, for example, a plurality of adsorption pads, and is held so asto be rotatable with respect to a robot main body 423 of the invertedcarrying robot 421.

Regarding the panel substrates 90 a placed on the separation table 441of the panel terminal separation portion 440 by the inverted carryingrobot 421, unnecessary portions 99 of the panel substrates 90 a areseparated from the panel substrates 90 a by an unnecessary portionremoval mechanism 442 provided near the side edge portions of theseparation table 441 as shown in FIG. 77, for example, by an insertionrobot (not shown).

As shown in FIG. 77, the unnecessary portion removal mechanism 442 isformed by arranging a plurality of removal roller portions 442 arespectively having a pair of the rollers 442 b opposing each otheralong a side edge of the separation table 441 with a predeterminedpitch. The opposing rollers 442 b provided in the provided in theremoval roller portions 442 a are energized in directions to approacheach other. The unnecessary portion 99 of the upper substrate of thepanel substrate 90 a and a lower side edge of the panel substrate 90 aare inserted between the rollers 442 b by the insertion robot (notshown). The rollers 442 b rotate only in one direction of the insertiondirection into the rollers 442 b of the panel substrate 90 a. A pair ofopposing rollers 442 b are respectively set to rotate in the reverseddirection.

The substrate cutting system of Embodiment 3 having such a structurewill be explained with reference mainly to an example in which a bondedsubstrate formed by bonding large-scale glass plates is cut.

For cutting the bonded mother substrate 90 formed by bonding large-scaleglass substrates to each other into a plurality of panel substrates 90 a(see FIG. 55), the bonded mother substrate 90 is received and adsorbedby a plurality of suction bases 321 a provided on a plurality of suctionpad bases 321 of the positioning unit portion 320 of Embodiment 3 fromthe carrying device (not shown) of the former step.

The four clutches of the first substrate supporting portion 341A and thesecond substrate supporting portion 341B of the scribe unit portion 340release connection with driving axes such that timing pulleys forrotating the timing belts of the first substrate supporting units 344Aand the second substrate supporting units 344B (such an operation isreferred to as switching off a clutch in the following description).

As shown in FIG. 78, the first substrate supporting portion 341A movestoward the substrate carry-in side with the scribing device guide body342 and the second substrate supporting portion 341B with the clutchesswitched off, and waits at the positioning unit portion 320.

Then, as shown in FIG. 79, a plurality of the suction pad bases 321holding the bonded mother substrate 90 sinks into the first substratesupporting portion 341A in a waiting state by a moving device 322. Then,adsorption state of the bonded mother substrate by the plurality ofadsorption pads is released to place the bonded mother substrate 90 onthe first substrate supporting portion 341A.

As described above, with the bonded mother substrate 90 being placed onthe first substrate supporting portion 341A, and with the four clutchesof the first substrate supporting portion 341A and the second substratesupporting portion 341B being switched off, the first substratesupporting portion 341A slightly moves toward the substrate carry-inside together with the scribing device guide body 342 and the secondsubstrate supporting portion 3418, and abut the side edge of the bondedmother substrate 90 on the substrate carry-in side against a pluralityof the reference rollers 323 provided in the guide bar 325 of thepositioning unit portion 320.

After the side edge of the bonded mother substrate 90 on the substratecarry-in side abuts against a plurality of the reference rollers 323provided in the guide bar 325 of the positioning unit portion 320, thepushers 324 of the guide bar 327 of the positioning unit portion 320pushes the bonded mother substrate 90 toward the reference rollers 323of the guide bar 326. The side edge of the bonded mother substrate 90 onthe guide bar 326 side abuts the reference rollers 323 provided in theguide bar 326. Thus, the bonded mother substrate 90 is positioned in thefirst substrate supporting portion 341A of the scribe unit portion 340.

Then, with the pushing of the bonded mother substrate 90 toward thereference rollers 323 of the guide bar 326 by the pushers 324 of theguide bar 327 of the positioning unit portion 320 being released and thefour clutches of the first substrate supporting portion 341A and thesecond substrate supporting portion 341B being switched off, the firstsubstrate supporting portion 341A moves together with the scribingdevice guide body 342 and the second substrate supporting portion 341B.After the bonded mother substrate 90 is moved to the position to be heldby the clamp devices 351, the side edge portions of the bonded mothersubstrate 90 are clamped by the clamp devices 351.

When the side edges of the bonded mother substrate 90 which areorthogonal to each other are respectively clamped by the clamp device351, the clamp members 151 clamping the side edges of the bonded mothersubstrate 90 sink approximately at the same time due to the weight ofthe bonded mother substrate itself. Thus, the bonded mother substrate 90is supported supplementarily by the timing belts of all the firstsubstrate supporting units 344A.

As shown in FIG. 80, in such a state where the side edges of the bondedmother substrate 90 which are orthogonal to each other are respectivelyclamped by the clamp device 351 and supported by the first substratesupporting units 344A, the four clutches of the first substratesupporting portion 341A and the second substrate supporting portion 341Bof the scribe unit portion 340 are coupled to the driving axes such thattiming pulleys for rotating the timing belts of the first substratesupporting units 344A and the second substrate supporting units 344Brotate (such an operation will be referred to switching on a clutch inthe following description).

After the clutches of the four clutch units of the first substratesupporting portion 341A and the second substrate supporting portion 341Bare switched on, the scribing device guide body 342 slides toward thesubstrate carry-in side so as to be at a predetermined position on aside edge of the bonded mother substrate 90 clamped by the clamp devices351 in a horizontal fashion on the substrate carry-out side. The firstoptical device and the second optical device provided on the scribingdevice guide body 342 move along the guide body 342 from waitingpositions. Thus, the images of the first alignment mark and the secondalignment mark provided on the bonded mother substrate 90 are taken.

Since the scribing device guide body 342 slides, the first substratesupporting portion 341A slides toward the substrate carry-in side, andsecond substrate supporting portion 341B slides toward the substratecarry-in side. The timing belts of the first substrate supporting units344A of the first substrate supporting portion 341A and the timing beltsof the second substrate supporting units 344B of the second substratesupporting portion 341B moves the bonded mother substrate 90 in adirection opposite to the moving direction of the scribing device guidebody 342 at the rate same as the moving speed of the scribing deviceguide body 342. Thus, the bonded mother substrate 90 does not move, andwhile being held by the clamp devices 351, the bonded mother substrate90 is supported without being in sliding contact with the timing beltsof the first substrate supporting units 344A of the first substratesupporting portion 341A and the timing belts of the second substratesupporting units 344B of the second substrate supporting portion 341B.

Next, based on the results of taking the images of the first alignmentmark and the second alignment mark, angle of the bonded mother substrate90 supported by the clamp devices 351 in a horizontal fashion in adirection along the scribing device guide body 342, cutting startposition and cutting end position by a calculation using an operationprocess device which is not shown. Based on the calculated results, thescribing device guide body 342 is moved with the upper portion substratecutting device 160 and the lower portion substrate cutting device 170 tocut the bonded mother substrate 90 (Such an operation may be referred toas scribing or cutting by linear interpolation).

In this example, the cutter wheels 162 a respectively opposing the frontsurface and the back surface of the bonded mother substrate 90 arepressed onto the front back surfaces and rotated. Thus, scribe lines 95are formed on the front surface and the back surface of the bondedmother substrate 90.

FIG. 81 is a diagram showing the second substrate supporting portion341B supporting the bonded mother substrate when the scribe lines 95 areformed in the side edge portions of four panel substrates 90 a forcutting four panel substrates out of the bonded mother substrate 90 bypressing and rotating the cutter wheel 162 a of the upper portionsubstrate cutting device 160 and the cutter wheel 162 a of the lowerportion substrate cutting device 170.

As shown in FIG. 81, from the bonded mother substrate 90, for example,two panel substrates 90 a in a column direction along the upper guiderail 352 and the lower guide rail 353 are cut out for two columns. Forcutting four display panels 90 a out of the bonded mother substrate 90,the cutter wheel 162 a of the upper portion substrate cutting device 160and the cutter wheel 162 a of the lower portion substrate cutting device170 are respectively pressed and rotated along the side edges of thedisplay panels 90 a.

in this example, the cutter wheel 162 a of the upper portion substratecutting device 160 and the cutter wheel 162 a of the lower portionsubstrate cutting device 170 generate vertical cracks in the portions ofthe glass substrates where the cutter wheels 162 a rotated, and a scribeline 95 is formed. Since protrusions are formed in a predetermined pitchin circumferential direction of the blade edges of the cutter wheels 162a, vertical cracks having the length of about 90% of the thickness ofthe glass substrate in the thickness direction are formed in the glasssubstrates.

Further, a scribing method using a cutter head including a mechanism forperiodically changing a pressure to the bonded mother substrate 90 by ascribe cutter by vibrating the scribe cutter such as a diamond pointcutter, cutter wheel or the like for scribing the bonded mothersubstrate 90 may be effectively applied to the cutting of the bondedmother substrate 90 by the substrate cutting system of the presentinvention.

When the scribing process on the front and back surfaces of the bondedmother substrate 90 is finished and the bonded mother substrate 90 is ina state as shown in FIG. 81, clamping (holding) of the bonded mothersubstrate 90 by the clamp devices 351 to released, and the clutches ofthe four clutch units of the second substrate supporting portion 241Bare switched off while the bonded mother substrate 90 is being placed onthe second substrate supporting portion 241B.

Thereafter, as shown in FIG. 82, the second substrate supporting portion341B carrying the scribed bonded mother substrate 90 moves toward thesubstrate carry-out side with the first substrate supporting portion341A and the scribing device guide body 342, and moves to the positionto be inserted into the spaces between a plurality of third substratesupporting units 361 arranged in the lift conveyer portion 360 with apredetermined spaces.

As a scribing method for forming scribe lines in side edge portions ofthe four panel substrates 90 a for cutting four panel substrates out ofthe bonded mother substrate 90 by pressing and rotating the cutter wheel162 a of the upper portion substrate cutting device 160 and the cutterwheel 162 a of the lower portion substrate cutting device 170, ascribing method shown in FIGS. 56 to 58 in Embodiment 2 may beeffectively applied to the substrate cutting system according toEmbodiment 3 instead of the scribing method shown in FIG. 81.

A plurality of third substrate supporting units 361 are arranged in thelift conveyer portion 360 with predetermined spaces therebetween. Asshown in FIG. 76, the plurality of third substrate supporting units 361are held by the holding frame 362 via the pillars 365 such that theplurality of the second substrate supporting units 344B of the secondsubstrate supporting portion 341B of the scribe unit portion 340 areinserted into the spaces. As shown in FIG. 83, the plurality of thethird substrate supporting units 361 are arranged such that a surface ofthe timing belts 361 e receiving the scribed bonded mother substrate 90is lower than a surface of the second substrate supporting units 344B onwhich the scribed bonded mother substrate 90 is to be placed.

After the bonded mother substrate 90 is scribed by the upper portionsubstrate cutting device 160 and the lower portion substrate cuttingdevice 170 of the scribing device guide body 342 of the scribe unitportion 340, clamping (holding) of the bonded mother substrate 90 by theclamp devices 351 is released. The scribed bonded mother substrate 90placed on the plurality of the second substrate supporting units 344B ofthe second substrate supporting portion 2418 is placed on the pluralityof the third substrate supporting units 361 and moved to a predeterminedposition in upper direction (+Z direction) along vertical direction.Then, by rotating the rotation motor 367 and moving the timing belts 361e, the bonded mother substrate 90 is carried to the break unit portion380.

The break unit portion 380 includes an upper steam unit attachment bar381 for attaching a plurality of steam units 384 for spraying steam tothe upper mother substrate 91 of the bonded mother substrate 90 and alower steam unit attachment bar 382 for attaching a plurality of steamunits 384 for spraying steam on the lower mother substrate 92 of thebonded mother substrate 90 attached to pillars 383 along X directionparallel to the scribing device guide body 342.

The rotation moving speed of the belt conveyer 385 provided on thesubstrate carry-out side of the steam break unit portion 380 to set tobe substantially the same as the rotation moving speed of the timingbelt 361 e of the plurality of the third substrate supporting units 361of the lift conveyer portion 360 and they move in synchronization. Thus,the scribed bonded mother substrate 90 passes through the break unitportion 380.

Further, on the carry-out side of the upper steam unit attachment bar381, the air knife 386 is attached, and in the lower steam unitattachment bar 382, the steam units 384 and the air knife 385 similar tothose attached to the upper steam unit attachment bar 382 are alsoprovided. After the steam is blown to the front and back surfaces of themother substrate 90, the water remaining on the front and back surfacesof the mother substrate 90 is completely removed.

After the scribed bonded mother substrate 90 is placed on the pluralityof the third substrate supporting units 361 and moved to a predeterminedposition in upper direction (+Z direction) along vertical direction, thebonded mother substrate 90 is moved by the belt conveyer 385 provided inthe steam break unit portion on the substrate carry-out side at therotation moving speed substantially same as that of the timing belts 361e of the plurality of the third substrate supporting units 361. Then,the scribed bonded mother substrate 90 passes through the break unitportion 380. Thus, the bonded mother substrate 90 is cut and in a stateto be supported by the belt conveyer 385.

A moving or stopped panel substrate 90 a which has passed through thesteam break unit portion 380, has been cut into panel substrates 90 a,and is to be supported by the belt conveyer 385 is taken up by thecarrying robot 410. Then, the panel substrate 90 a is placed an a panelholding portion 422 of an inverted carrying robot 421 of panel inversionunit portion 420.

The inverted carrying robot 421 of panel inversion unit portion 420receives the panel substrate 90 a from the carrying robot 410 andinverts the panel substrate 90 a upside down to place on a separationtable 441 on the panel terminal separation portion 440.

Regarding the panel substrate 90 a placed on the separation table 441 ofthe panel terminal separation portion 440 by the inverted carrying robot421, unnecessary portions 99 of the panel substrates 90 a are separatedfrom the panel substrates 90 a by an unnecessary portion removalmechanism 442 provided near the side edge portions of the separationtable 441 as shown in FIG. 77, for example, by an insertion robot (notshown).

By employing the scribing method shown in FIGS. 61 to 70 in Embodiment 2as the scribing method by the upper portion substrate cutting device 160and the lower portion substrate cutting device 170 of the scribingdevice guide body 342, a cutting process of the bonded substrate 90 bythe steam unit portion 380 may be omitted.

Further, as a method for cutting, the substrate, a method in whichdouble scribe lines are formed on the bonded mother substrates where theglass substrates, which is a type of brittle material substrate, arebonded as mother substrates has been described. However, the presentinvention is not limited to this. When the mother substrate is a metalsubstrate such as steel sheet, wood plate, a plastic substrate, and abrittle material substrate such as ceramics substrate, glass substrate,semiconductor substrate or the like, a method for cutting the substrateby using, for example, laser light, a dicing saw, a cutting blade, adiamond cutter, or the like may be used.

Furthermore, the substrates include, besides mother substrate, a bondedsubstrate formed by bonding the same type of mother substrates, a bondedmother substrate formed by bonding different types of mother substrates,and a substrate formed by laminating mother substrates.

Embodiment 4

FIG. 84 is a schematic perspective view showing an example of anotherembodiment of the substrate cutting system according to the presentinvention in whole. In the present invention, “substrates” includemother substrates cut into a plurality of substrates and also includesingle plates of metal substrates such as steel sheets, wood plates,plastic substrates and ceramic substrate, semiconductor substrates, andbrittle material substrates such as glass substrates. Furthermore, the“substrates” are not limited to such single plates, but also includesbonded substrates formed by bonding pairs of substrates and laminatedsubstrates formed by laminating pairs of substrates.

The substrate cutting system according to the present invention out thebonded mother substrate 90 formed by boding a pair of mother glasssubstrates to each other into a plurality of panel substrates (displaypanel bonded substrates) for producing, for example, panel substrates(display panel bonded substrates) of the liquid crystal displayapparatus which are bonded to each other.

A substrate cutting system 500 according to Embodiment 4 has a similarstructure as Embodiment 2 except for that the substrate supportingdevice 120 in the substrate cutting system 100 in Embodiment 2 isreplaced with the substrate supporting device 520 of Embodiment 4, and aplurality of supporting belts 550 are hung within the substrate cuttingsystem according to Embodiment 4. Thus, the like parts in Embodiment 2shown in FIG. 84 are denoted by like reference numerals. Detaileddescription will be omitted.

Regarding the substrate cutting system 500 according Embodiment 4, aside on which the first substrate supporting device 520 is located isreferred to as a substrate carry-in side and a side on which thesubstrate carrying device 180 is located is referred to as a substratecarry-out side in the following description. In the substrate cuttingsystem 500 of the present invention, a direction in which the substratesare carried (substrate flowing direction) is +Y direction from thesubstrate carry-in side to the substrate carry-out side. The directionin which the substrates are carried is a direction orthogonal to ascribing device guide body 130 in a horizontal fashion and the scribingdevice guide body 130 is provided along X direction.

The first substrate supporting portion 520A and second substratesupporting portion 520B of the substrate supporting device 520respectively includes, for example, five first substrate supportingunits 521A and second substrate supporting units 521B which are movablein a direction same as the moving direction of the scribing device guidebody 130. The first substrate supporting units 521A and the secondsubstrate supporting units 521B are formed to have linear shape alongthe direction parallel to the frames 111A and 111B in the longitudinaldirection of the main frame 111 (Y direction).

FIG. 86 is a side view of one of the first substrate supporting units521A provided in the first substrate supporting portion 520A. The firstsubstrate supporting unit 521A has a support main body 521 a elongatedlinearly along the direction parallel to the main frame 111 (Ydirection). On an upper portion of the support main body 521 a, a beltreceiver 522 b for guiding the supporting belt 550 is provided. On theend portion of the support main body 521 a on the substrate carry-outside, pulleys 521 c and 521 d are attached. Further, on a lower centralportion of the support main body 521 a, a cylinder 521 h is provided. Acylinder rod of the cylinder 521 h is jointed to a suction plate 522 e.On both lower end portions of the support main body 521 a, linear guides521 f are provided. One end of each of the shafts 521 g which areinserted into the linear guides 521 f is jointed to the suction plate521 e.

The suction plate 521 e moves to a position higher than the supportingbelt 550 by driving the cylinder 521 h, and receives the bonded mothersubstrate 90 carried by the carrying device which is not shown from theformer step to the first substrate supporting portion 420, and sucks andadsorbs the bonded mother substrate 90 by a suction mechanism which isnot shown to place on the supporting belt 550 of the first substratesupporting unit 521A.

The cylinder 521 h has a structure of a two-stage cylinder. Bycontrolling a pattern to put compressed air into the cylinder by anelectromagnetic valve which is not shown, the suction plate 521 e isselectively placed at the lowest position lower than the supporting belt550 as shown in FIG. 85, the highest position for receiving the bondedmother substrate 90, and the intermediate position for placing thebonded mother substrate 90 on the supporting belt 550 supporting belt550.

The pillars 145 are provided on the upper surface of the guide bases 115held in the moving units of the pair of the guide rails 113 provided onthe upper surface of the mounting structure 110. Above the pillars 145,the supporting members 143 are provided parallel to Y direction alongthe frames 111A and 111B of the main frame 111. The support main bodies121 a are respectively attached to two unit attachment members 41 and 42bridging to the supporting members 143 in X direction orthogonal to theframes 111A and 111B of the main frame 111 via the junction members 146and 147.

FIG. 85 shows the first substrate supporting unit 521A as moved towardthe substrate carry-in side with the scribing device guide body 130 andthe second substrate supporting unit 521B. As shown in the portion (a)of FIG. 86, the supporting belt 550 is connected to the main frame 111on the substrate carry-in side is supported by the belt receiver 521 bof the first substrate supporting unit 521A, hung over the pulleys 521 cand 521 d of the first substrate supporting unit 521A, and hung over alower pulley 551 of the first substrate supporting unit 521A and a lowerpulley 552 of the second substrate supporting unit 521B. Then, thesupporting belt 550 in hung over the pulleys 521 d and 521 c of thesecond substrate supporting unit 521B, supported by the belt receiver ofthe second substrate supporting unit 521B, and then connected to themain frame 111 on the substrate carry out side to have a tension.

The pillar 145 on the frame 111A side and the pillar 145 on the frame111B side which support first substrate supporting units 521A are heldby the guide base 115. Since the movers (not shown) of the linear motorsare attached to the guide bases 115 for holding the pillars 128 whichsupport both ends of the scribing device guide body 130, the scribingdevice guide body 130 is moved toward the substrate carry-in side bydriving the linear motor, and the five first substrate supporting units521A of the first substrate supporting portion 520A also move toward thesubstrate carry-in side.

A plurality of first substrate supporting units 521A (five in thepresent embodiment) are arranged with a predetermined spacestherebetween, and move in Y direction along the frames 111A and 111B ofthe main frame 111 together with the scribing device guide body 130.

The second substrate supporting portion 520B of the substrate supportingdevice 520 respectively includes, for example, the second substratesupporting units 521B which are movable in a direction same as themoving direction of the scribing device guide body 130. The secondsubstrate supporting units 521B have similar structures as those of thefirst substrate supporting units 521A except for that they do notinclude the suction plate 521 e, cylinder 521 h for moving the suctionplate 521 e, linear guides 521 f, and shafts 521 g, and supported by thepillar 145 on the frame 111A side and the pillar 145 on the frame 111Bside so as to be attached in an inverted direction with respect to Ydirection to provide an arrangement symmetrical with respect to thescribing device guide body 130. The respective pillars are supported bythe guide bases 115.

Since the movers (not shown) of the linear motors are attached to theguide bases 115 for holding the pillars 128 which support both ends ofthe scribing device guide body 130, the scribing device guide body 130is moved toward the substrate carry-in side by driving the linear motor,and the five second substrate supporting units 521B of the secondsubstrate supporting portion 520B also move toward the substratecarry-in side.

As shown in the portion (b) of FIG. 86, when the first substratesupporting unit 521A moves toward the substrate carry-in side with thescribing device guide body 130 and the second substrate supporting unit521B, the supporting belt 550 of the first substrate supporting unit521A sinks below the scribing device guide body 130, and the supportingbelt 550 of the second substrate supporting unit 521B appears on thebelt receiver 521 b of the second substrate supporting unit 521B frombelow the scribing device guide body 130.

Further, when the second substrate supporting unit 521B moves toward thesubstrate carry-out side with the scribing device guide body 130 and thefirst substrate supporting unit 521A, the supporting belt 550 of thesecond substrate supporting unit 521B sinks below the scribing deviceguide body 130, and the supporting belt 550 of the first substratesupporting unit 521A appears on the belt receiver 521 b of the firstsubstrate supporting unit 521L from below the scribing device guide body130.

The operation of the substrate cutting system of Embodiment 4 havingsuch a structure will be explained with reference mainly to an examplein which a bonded substrate formed by bonding large-scale glass platesis cut.

For cutting the bonded mother substrate 90 formed by bonding large-scaleglass substrates to each other into a plurality of panel substrates 90 a(see FIG. 88), first, as shown in FIG. 87, the bonded mother substrate90 is carried into the substrate cutting system by the carrying robot orthe like from the end portion on the substrate carry-in side, and isplaced on the supporting belts 550 of all the second substratesupporting units 521A of the first substrate supporting portion 520A ina horizontal fashion.

In such a state, as in Embodiment 2, the bonded mother substrate 90 ispressed with a pressure which is not shown so as to abut positioningpins (not shown) arranged along the frame 111B of the main frame 111.The bonded mother substrate 90 is also pressed with a pressure which isnot shown so as to abut positioning pins (not shown) arranged along adirection orthogonal to the frame 111B. In this way, the bonded mothersubstrate 90 is positioned at a predetermined position in the housing110 in the substrate cutting system.

Then, as shown in FIG. 87, the bonded mother substrate 90 has its sideedge along the frame 111B of the main frames 111 clamped by the clampmembers 151 of the clamp device 150. The side edge of the bonded mothersubstrate 90 on the substrate carry-in side in clamped by the clampmembers 151 arranged on the substrate carry-in side so as to beorthogonal to the frame 111B.

When the side edges of the bonded mother substrate 90 which areorthogonal to each other are respectively clamped by the clamp device150, the clamp members 151 clamping the side edges of the bonded mothersubstrate 90 sink approximately at the same time due to the weight ofthe bonded mother substrate itself. Thus, the bonded mother substrate 90is supported supplementarily by the supporting belt 550 of all the firstsubstrate supporting units 521A.

In such a state, the scribing device guide body 130 slide toward thesubstrate carry-in side so as to be at a predetermined position on aside edge of the bonded mother substrate 90 on the substrate carry-outside clamped by the clamp device 50 in a horizontal fashion. The firstoptical device 138 and the second optical device 139 provided on thescribing device guide body 130 move along the guide body 130 fromwaiting positions. Thus, the images of the first alignment mark and thesecond alignment mark provided on the bonded mother substrate 90 aretaken.

Since the scribing device guide body 130 slides, the first substratesupporting portion 520A slides toward the substrate carry-in side, andsecond substrate supporting portion 520B slides toward the substratecarry-in side. At this time, the supporting belt 550 of the firstsubstrate supporting unit 521A on the scribing device guide body 130side sinks below the scribing device guide body 130, and the supportingbelt 550 of the second substrate supporting unit 521B appears on thebelt receiver 521 of the second substrate supporting unit 521B. Thus,the supporting belts 550 are not in sliding contact with the lowersurface of the bonded mother substrate 90.

Next, based on the results of taking the images of the first alignmentmark and the second alignment mark, angle of the bonded mother substrate90 supported by the clamp device 150 in a horizontal fashion in adirection along the scribing device guide body 130, cutting startposition and cutting end position by a calculation using an operationprocess device which is not shown. Based on the calculated results, thescribing device guide body 130 is moved with the upper portion substratecutting device 160 and the lower portion substrate cutting device 170 tocut the bonded mother substrate 90 (Such an operation may be referred toas scribing or cutting by linear interpolation).

In this example, as shown in FIG. 88, the cutter wheels 162 arespectively opposing the front surface and the back surface of thebonded mother substrate 90 are pressed onto the front back surfaces androtated. Thus, scribe lines 95 are formed on the front surface and theback surface of the bonded mother substrate 90.

From the bonded mother substrate 90, for example, two panel substrates90 a in a column direction along the upper guide rail 132 and the lowerguide rail 132 are cut out for two columns. For cutting four paneldisplays 90 a out of the bonded mother substrate 90, the cutter wheel162 a of the upper portion substrate cutting device 160 and the cutterwheel 162 a of the lower portion substrate cutting device 170 arerespectively pressed and rotated along the side edges of the panelsubstrates.

In this example, the cutter wheel 162 a of the upper portion substratecutting device 160 and the cutter wheels 162 a of the lower portionsubstrate cutting device 170 generate vertical cracks in the portions ofthe glass substrates where the cutter wheels 162 a rotated, and a scribeline 95 is formed. Since protrusions are formed in a predetermined pitchin peripheral edges of the blade edges of the cutter wheels 162 a,vertical cracks having the length of about 90% of the thickness of theglass substrate in the thickness direction are formed in the glasssubstrates.

Further, a scribing method using a cutter head including a mechanism forperiodically changing a pressure to the bonded mother substrate 90 by ascribe cutter by vibrating the scribe cutter such as a diamond pointcutter, cutter wheel or the like for scribing the bonded mothersubstrate 90 may be effectively applied to the cutting of the bondedmother substrate 90 by the substrate cutting system of the presentinvention.

As a scribing method for forming scribe lines in side edge portions ofthe four panel substrates 90 a for cutting four panel substrates 90 aout of the bonded mother substrate 90 by pressing and rotating thecutter wheel 162 a of the upper portion substrate cutting device 160 andthe cutter wheel 162 a of the lower portion substrate cutting device170, a scribing method shown in FIGS. 56 to 58 in Embodiment 3 may beeffectively applied to the substrate cutting system according toEmbodiment 3 beside the scribing method shown in FIG. 81.

During a scribing process by the cutter wheels 162 a of the upperportion substrate cutting device 160 and the lower portion substratecutting device 170, all the first substrate supporting units 521A of thefirst substrate supporting portion 520A and all the second substratesupporting units 521B of the second substrate supporting portion 520Bmove to the substrate carry-in side and the substrate carry-out side.When they move to the substrate carry-in side, the supporting belt 550of the first substrate supporting unit 521A on the scribing device guidebody 130 side sinks below the scribing device guide body 130, and thesupporting belt 550 of the second substrate supporting unit 521B appearson the belt receiver 521 of the second substrate supporting unit 521B.When they move to the substrate carry-out side, the supporting belt 550of the second substrate supporting unit 521B sinks below the scribingdevice guide body 130, and the supporting belt 550 of the firstsubstrate supporting unit 521A appears on the belt receiver 521 b of thefirst substrate supporting unit 521A from below the scribing deviceguide body 130. Thus, there is no possibility that the supporting belts550 are in sliding contact with the lower surface of the bonded mothersubstrate 90.

After the scribe lines are formed on the bonded mother substrate by theabove-described scribing method, as shown in FIG. 89, with the bondedmother substrate 90 on which the scribe line 95 is formed beingsupported by the supporting belts 550 of the second substrate supportingunits 521B, the steam unit portion 260 moves toward the substratecarry-in side and blows the steam entirely on the front and backsurfaces of the bonded mother substrate 90 on which the scribe lines arecarved to completely cut the bonded mother substrate 90. At the sametime, the water remaining on the front and back surfaces of the bondedmother substrate 90 after the steam is blown thereto is removed by theair knife 71.

By blowing the steam onto the entire front and back surface of thebonded mother substrate 90 having the scribe lines carved thereon, thescribe lines formed by the cutter wheels 162 a experience volumeexpansion since the surface portions of the mother substrate 1 areheated. In this way, vertical cracks extend in the thickness directionof the mother substrate, and the bonded mother substrate 90 iscompletely cut.

Thereafter, as shown in FIG. 89, all the panel substrates 90 a cut fromthe bonded mother substrate 90 on the supporting belts 550 of all thesecond substrate supporting units 521B of the second substratesupporting portion 520B are carried out by the carrying robot 240 of thesubstrate carry-out device 180, and thus, a cut bonded mother substrate90′ (mill end) is supported.

Then, the substrate carry-out device 180 and the steam unit portion 260moves toward the end portion on the substrate carry-out side.

Thereafter, as shown in FIG. 90, the scribing device guide body 130, thesecond substrate supporting portion 520B and the first substratesupporting portion 520A are slid toward the substrate carry-out side. Atthis time, the supporting belt 550 of the second substrate supportingunit 521B on the scribing device guide body 130 side sinks below thescribing device guide body 130, and the supporting belt 550 of the firstsubstrate supporting unit 521A appears on the belt receiver 521 b of thefirst substrate supporting unit 521A from below the scribing deviceguide body 130. Thus, the supporting belts 550 are not in slidingcontact with the lower surface of the cut bonded mother substrate 90′(mill end).

Thus, the supporting belts 550 of the first substrate supporting units521A and the supporting belts of the second substrate supporting units521B of the second substrate supporting portion 520 are sequentiallybrought into a non-contact state without being in sliding contact fromthe lower surface of the cut bonded mother substrate 90′. The supportsof the cut bonded mother substrate 90′ by the supporting belts 550 aresequentially released. Then, support of the cut bonded mother substrate90′ (mill end) by the clamp device 150 is released and the cut bondedmother substrate 90′ (mill end) drops downward. In this case, the cutbonded mother substrate 90′ dropped downward (mill end and cullet) isguided by a guiding plate arranged in a slanted state and isaccommodated within a cullet accommodation box.

By employing the scribing method shown in FIGS. 61 to 70 in Embodiment 2as the scribing method by the upper portion substrate cutting device 160and the lower portion substrate cutting device 170 of the scribingdevice guide body 130, a cutting process of the bonded mother substrate90 by the steam unit portion 260 may be omitted.

Further, as a method for cutting the substrate, a method in which doublescribe lines are formed on the bonded mother substrates where the glasssubstrates, which is a type of brittle material substrate, are bonded asmother substrates has been described. However, the present invention isnot limited to this. When the mother substrate is a metal substrate suchas steel sheet, wood plate, a plastic substrate, and a brittle materialsubstrate such as ceramics substrate, glass substrate, semiconductorsubstrate or the like, a method for cutting the substrate by using, forexample, laser light, a dicing saw, a cutting blade, a diamond cutter,or the like may be used.

Furthermore, the substrates include, besides mother substrate, a bondedsubstrate formed by bonding the same type of mother substrates, a bondedmother substrate formed by bonding different types of mother substrates,and a substrate formed by laminating mother substrates.

Embodiment 4

A substrate manufacturing apparatus 901 shown in FIG. 91 is obtained byconnecting a substrate chamfering device 700 for chamfering end surfacesof the cut substrate is connected to one of the substrate cuttingsystems 1, 100, 300 and 500 according to the present invention.

Substrate manufacturing apparatuses 902 and 903 shown in FIG. 92 isobtained by further incorporating an inspection system for inspectingthe size, conditions of the front and back surfaces and end surfaces andthe like of the cut substrates and for inspecting the functions of thesubstrates into the above-described substrate manufacturing apparatus901.

In the above description of the operations of the substrate cuttingsystems according to Embodiments 2 to 4, examples in which the motherglass substrate formed by bonding glass substrates is cut have beendescribed. However, the present invention is not limited to these. Forexample, operations different from the above description may beperformed depending on the types of the substrates to be cut or in orderto enhance the functionalities of the devices which form the substratecutting system.

In the above descriptions regarding Embodiments 1 to 4, the substratecutting systems for cutting the bonded mother substrate formed bybonding glass substrates to each other into a plurality of displaypanels have been described. However, the substrate which can be appliedto the present invention to not limited to this.

The substrates which can be applied to the present invention includemetal substrates having the mother substrates such as steel sheets, woodplates, plastic substrates and ceramic substrate, semiconductorsubstrates, and brittle material substrates such as glass substrates.Furthermore, the substrates include bonded substrates formed by bondingthe same type of mother substrates, bonded mother substrates formed bybonding different types of mother substrates, and substrates formed bylaminating mother substrates.

INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY

The substrate cutting system according to the present invention, asdescribed above, holds a substrate with clamp devices and supports withsubstrate supporting devices which slide as a out guide body moves.Thus, it becomes possible to perform a cutting process in two directionsorthogonal to each other at the same time from front and back surfacesof the substrate by setting the substrate once. This causes the entiresystem to be compact. Also, various substrates can be cut efficiently.

1. A substrate cutting system comprising: a hollow parallelepipedmounting structure; a clamp device attached to the mounting structure soas to clamp at least one portion of a side edge of a substrate carriedinto the mounting structure; a pair of scribing devices including scribeline formation means respectively movable back and forth, whichrespectively scribe the substrate from an upper surface side and a lowersurface side of the substrate clamped by the clamp device; a scribingdevice guide body which supports the scribing device, which is movableback and forth along one side of the hollow parallelepiped mountingstructure, and movably attached along a direction orthogonal to themoving direction of the scribe line formation means, a first substratesupporting portion for supporting a substrate provided on one side inthe moving direction of the scribing device guide body; a secondsubstrate supporting portion for supporting a substrate provided on theother side in the moving direction of the scribing device guide body; aplurality of first substrate supporting units which are provided in thefirst substrate supporting portion and move along the moving directionof the scribing device guide body; and a plurality of second substratesupporting units which are provided in the second substrate supportingportion and move along the moving direction of the scribing device guidebody, wherein at least one of the plurality of first substratesupporting units and the plurality of second substrate supporting unitsis moved so as to apart from each other as the scribing device guidebody moves in one direction and is moved so as to approach each other asthe scribing device guide body moves in other direction.
 2. (canceled)3. (canceled)
 4. (canceled)
 5. A substrate cutting system according toclaim 1, wherein, in the first substrate supporting units, a pluralityof first supporting belts respectively arranged along the movingdirection of the scribing device guide body are supported, and thesubstrate is supported in a horizontal fashion by the first supportingbelts by moving the first substrate supporting units so as to apart fromeach other.
 6. A substrate cutting system according to claim 5, furthercomprising first winding means for winding the first supporting belts bymoving the first substrate supporting units so as to approach eachother.
 7. A substrate cutting system according to claim 4, wherein, inthe first substrate supporting units, a substrate moving device forlifting the substrate above the first supporting belts so that thesubstrate is clamped by the clamp device is provided.
 8. (canceled) 9.(canceled)
 10. (canceled)
 11. (canceled)
 12. (canceled)
 13. A substratecutting system according to claim 1, wherein, in the second substratesupporting units, a plurality of second supporting belts respectivelyarranged along the moving direction of the scribing device guide bodyare supported, and the substrate is supported in a horizontal fashion bythe second supporting belts by moving the second substrate supportingunits so as to apart from each other.
 14. A substrate cutting systemaccording to claim 13, further comprising second winding means forwinding the second supporting belts by moving the second substratesupporting units so as to approach each other.
 15. (canceled) 16.(canceled)
 17. (canceled)
 18. A substrate cutting system according toclaim 1, wherein the scribe line formation means is a cutter wheel, thescribing device includes a cutter head, and the cutter head presses thecutter wheal onto the substrate by a servo motor.
 19. A substratecutting system according to claim 1, further comprising a steam unitportion for spraying steam on front and back surfaces of the substratehaving scribe lines carved thereon.
 20. A substrate cutting systemaccording to claim 19, wherein that the steam unit portion includessubstrate drying means for drying front and back surfaces of thesubstrate.
 21. A substrate cutting system according to claim 19,characterized by comprising a substrate carry-out device for taking outthe substrate which has been cut at the steam unit portion. 22.(canceled)
 23. (canceled)
 24. (canceled)
 25. (canceled)
 26. (canceled)27. (canceled)
 28. (canceled)
 29. A substrate cutting system accordingto claim 1, characterized in that the substrate is a bonded mothersubstrate formed by bonding a pair of mother substrates.
 30. A substratemanufacturing apparatus, wherein a chamfering system for chamfering endsurfaces of the out substrate is connected to the substrate cuttingsystem according to claim
 1. 31. A substrate manufacturing apparatus,wherein an inspection system for inspecting functions of the outsubstrate is connected to the substrate cutting system according toclaim
 1. 32. A substrate manufacturing apparatus according to claim 30,wherein the substrate manufacturing apparatus comprises an inspectionsystem for inspecting functions of the cut substrate.
 33. A substratescribing method for forming a scribe line on a bonded substrate formedby bonding a plurality of substrates in order to cut the bondedsubstrate into a plurality of unit substrates, wherein a first scribeline formation means faces an upper surface of the bonded substrate anda second scribe line formation means faces a lower surface of the bondedsubstrate, the method comprising the steps of: the first scribe lineformation means forming a first portion of a first scribe line on theupper surface of the bonded substrate, and the second scribe lineformation means forming a first portion of a second scribe line on thelower surface of the bonded substrate; the first scribe line formationmeans moving over the bonded substrate such that the first scribe lineformation means draws a circular trace in succession to the firstportion of the first scribe line without the first scribe line formationmeans being apart from the upper surface of the bonded substrate, andthe second scribe line formation means moving over the bonded substratesuch that the second scribe line formation means draws a circular tracein succession to the first portion of the second scribe line without thesecond scribe line formation means being apart from the lower surface ofthe bonded substrate; and the first scribe line formation means forminga second portion of the first scribe line following the first portion ofthe first scribe line on the upper surface of the bonded substrate, andthe second scribe line formation means forming a second portion of thesecond scribe line following the first portion of the second scribe lineon the lower surface of the bonded substrate, wherein a pressure to thebonded substrate when the first scribe line formation means and thesecond scribe line formation means move over the bonded substrate suchthat they draw the circular traces, is reduced than a pressure to thebonded substrate in forming the first scribe line and the second scribeline.
 34. (canceled)
 35. (canceled)
 36. A substrate scribing methodaccording to claim 33, wherein each of the first scribe line formationmeans and the second scribe line formation means is a cutter wheelhaving a disc shape and having a blade edge for rotating on a surface ofthe substrate in an outer periphery.
 37. A substrate scribing methodaccording to claim 36, wherein the cutter wheel has a plurality ofprotrusions formed in a blade edge in a predetermined pitch. 38.(canceled)
 39. (canceled)
 40. (canceled)
 41. (canceled)
 42. A substratecutting method comprising the steps of: forming a main scribe line alonga line to be cut on an upper surface and a lower surface of a substrate;and forming a supplementary scribe line proximal to the formed mainscribe line and approximately in parallel with the main scribe line,wherein the substrate is out along the main scribe line by formation ofthe supplementary scribe line.
 43. A substrate cutting method accordingto claim 42, wherein the supplementary scribe line is formed with aspace of 0.5 mm to 1.0 mm apart from the main scribe line.
 44. Asubstrate cutting method according to claim 42 or 43, wherein the mainscribe line is formed by a vertical crack which extends to at least 80%or more of a thickness direction of the substrate from the substratesurface.
 45. (canceled)
 46. A substrate cutting method according toclaim 42, wherein the main scribe line is formed by a cutter wheelhaving a disc shape which rotates on the substrate surface, the cutterwheel protruding outward so as to have a center portion of an outerperiphery in a width direction which has a shape of letter V with anobtuse angle, a plurality of protrusions with a predetermined heightbeing provided across the entire circumferential with a predeterminedpitch in a portion having the obtuse angle.
 47. A substrate cuttingmethod according to claim 46, wherein a formation direction of the mainscribe line and a formation direction of the supplementary scribe lineby the cutter wheel are opposite to each other, and the cutter wheelcontinuously form the main scribe line and the supplementary scribe linein contact with the substrate surface.
 48. A substrate cutting methodaccording to claim 42, wherein the main scribe line and/or thesupplementary scribe line is formed with an appropriate space apart fromat least one end portion of either of the lines.
 49. A substrate cuttingmethod according to claim 42, further comprising the step of sprayingthe upper surface and the lower surface of the substrate with steam soas to cut the substrate.
 50. A substrate scribing method according toclaim 42, wherein, when a first main scribe line and a second mainscribe line are formed by the scribe line formation means, the scribeline formation means form the first main scribe line, and then move onthe substrate so as to draw a circular trace without being apart fromthe substrate, form the second main scribe line, and then formsupplementary scribe lines along the first main scribe line and thesecond main scribe line.
 51. (canceled)
 52. (canceled)
 53. A substratescribing method according to claim 50, characterized in that the scribeline formation means is a cutter wheel having a disc shape and having ablade edge rotated on a surface of the substrate in an outer periphery.54. A substrate scribing method according to claim 53, characterized inthat the cutter wheel has a plurality of protrusions formed in a bladeedge in a predetermined pitch.
 55. A substrate scribing method accordingto claim 50, characterized in that, when the scribe formation means moveon the substrate drawing a circular trace, pressure to the substrate isreduced compared to pressure to the substrate when the main scribe linesare being formed.
 56. A substrate cutting system according to claim 1,wherein the first substrate supporting units and the second substratesupporting units support the substrate clamped by the clamp devicewithout being in sliding contact.